"At least 10 buyers from Germany will attend the exposition, besides buyers from USA, UK, Spain, Turkey, France, Italy, Brazil and Hong Kong," said BKMEA President Fazlul Hoque at a press briefing organised prior to the Knit Exposition 2005 scheduled for December 13-15.

"More buyers will arrive this year due to our extensive publicity and promotional activities both at home and abroad," Hoque told reporters.

He, however, said increasing bomb blast incidents that have been rattling the country for last couple of months would not hinder foreign buyers coming at the exposition.

Bangladesh earned US$ 919.02 million from knitwear exports in July-September of the current fiscal, an 18 percent increase from the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. The total earning was $2819.47 in 2004-05 fiscal, according to BKMEA (Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association).

BKMEA is going to hold the second Knit Expo 2005 at Dhaka Sheraton hotel to net buyers from home and abroad. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is expected to inaugurate the fair.

About 70 enterprises from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan will participate at this year's fair, BKMEA officials said. Of these, 45 are knitwear exporters and the remaining are yarn and machinery producers, and communication technology, accessories, printing and chemical traders.

BKMEA president said although the continuous bomb blasts cause 'a setback' to economic development, particularly, to exports, it will not impede foreign buyers from attending the fair.

"We have been carrying out an extensive publicity for last four months to net maximum number of foreign buyers available at the fair," he said.

Hoque said a BKMEA delegation led by him got huge responses from German-based knitwear buyers during carrying out a weeklong promotional campaign in Germany for the Dhaka exposition last month.

He also said, as part of the promotional activities for the exposition, they talked with different consultants, buyers and manufactures associations during their visit to Germany.

Germany is the single largest knitwear importer from Bangladesh. According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), export of knitwear from Bangladesh to Germany was $ 668 million in 04-05 fiscal.

Banglalink, a mobile phone operator, will sponsor the exposition.