This year's Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) will begin on January 21 at the month-long event's permanent venue in Dhaka's Purbachal.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the DITF this year, Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh told The Daily Star.

The showcase normally begins on the first day of January every year, but this time it got delayed because of the general elections held on January 7.

The number of foreign companies this year may be a bit low as they have been given a very short time to get prepared for the show.

Usually, the government issues a notice for local and international companies around three months before the beginning of the expo, but this time the announcement came only a week ago.

Despite the short notice, the organisers—the Export Promotion Bureau and the commerce ministry—expect companies from India, Iran and other neighbouring countries will come in good numbers.

The schedule of the trade fair was set in a meeting at the commerce ministry in Dhaka today.