12th National SME fair begins 7 Dec in Dhaka

The 12th edition of the country’s largest exhibition for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is set to begin on 7 December at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The week-long fair, organised by the SME Foundation under the Ministry of Industries, will continue until 14 December.

The fair will be inaugurated by the Industry Adviser, Adilur Rahman Khan, according to an announcement made by the SME Foundation at a press briefing on Thursday.

SME Foundation Chairperson Mushfiqur Rahman, who shared the details, said that around 350 small and medium entrepreneurs are participating, 60% of whom are women.

Highlighting the importance of the event, he said, “The SME fair plays a vital role in developing skilled entrepreneurs, ensuring market linkage and securing fair market value for locally-made products.”

The fair will feature a wide range of 100% locally produced SME items, with foreign or imported products strictly prohibited.

The ready-made garment sector will have the largest participation with 74 stalls, followed by handicrafts 54, footwear and leather goods 40, jute products 35, agro and food processing 28, light engineering 13, jewelry 9, cosmetics 7, IT services 5, herbal products 5, plastic goods 5, and furniture, electronics and other products 14.”

Products expected to attract visitors include handmade garments, jamdani, traditional crafts, jute innovations, leather accessories, herbal cosmetics, organic health items, lifestyle goods, IT-based services, processed foods, ceramics, and household items.

To ease access to financial services, 30 banks and financial institutions will take part in the fair. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to directly interact with bankers and apply for SME loans on spot. They will also receive advisory support on business registration, product branding, training programmes, and market expansion initiatives.

As part of the fair, six specialised seminars will be held from 8 to 10 December.

Experts from relevant industries and regulatory bodies will share insights on branding, product development, SME policy reforms, and new market opportunities.

During the inauguration programme, six entrepreneurs will be honoured with the National SME Entrepreneur Award 2025, under the categories of micro, small, medium, and startup enterprises. The selected awardees will receive crests and certificates in recognition of their contributions to the SME sector.

The fair will remain open daily from 10am to 9pm, offering free entry to visitors. Facilities will include a media center, blood donation booth, SME Foundation help desk, buyer–seller meeting center, and service stalls from government agencies such as BITAC, BSTI, BSCIC and BCSIR.

According to SME Foundation data, over the span of 11 national fairs since 2012, participating entrepreneurs have sold products worth over Tk44 crore and received advance orders worth Tk73 crore. Additionally, more than 5,000 entrepreneurs have taken part in regional SME fairs.