The exhibition, first of its kind, will be held at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel from September 22 to 24, and is expected to pull a large number of foreign buyers by showcasing a variety of export-oriented knitwear products.

"The main objective of the fair is to familiarise foreign buyers of our knitwear products which have almost 75 percent value addition," said Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Fazlul Hoque.

"Besides, the fair is also aimed at increasing our market share in the US market as there is tremendous potentiality in the quota-free regime after this year," he told The Daily Star.

In the last fiscal year knitwear sector fetched US$2.14 billion, out of which the contribution of the US market is only $350 million, the BKMEA leader said.

"We are a big player in the EU, but in the US market our share is very small compared to woven products from Bangladesh," he said.

"The knitwear sector is emerging strongly in the US market and we want to tap our due share. I hope the exposition will help us achieve our goal," Hoque added.

He said the knitwear exhibition Knit Exposition 2004 to be organised under the aegis of BKMEA, will have around 80 stalls. "But the figure may increase depending on the response from the producers."

The fair will be participated by BKMEA members, knit garment producers, local and foreign yarn and knit fabrics producers, suppliers of knit garments and manufacturers and suppliers of knitting and dying machinery.

Some stalls will be reserved for service sectors such as shipping lines, airlines, courier services, software developers, banks and insurance companies.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is expected to inaugurate the exhibition.