Women entrepreneurs from Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh will showcase their products at the six-day event jointly organised by Saarc Chamber Women Entrepreneurs Council (SCWEC), Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (WEAB) and High Commission of Pakistan in Dhaka.

Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Choudhury will inaugurate the exposition titled "First South Asian Women Entrepreneurs Eid Festival 2004" at the Spectra Convention Centre at Gulshan.

Addressing a press conference at Jatiya Press Club yesterday, Nasreen Awal Mintoo, chairperson of SCWEC and president of WEAB, said the festival would provide exposure to women entrepreneurs in this region who usually remain low-profile and get little motivation to continue their out-of-the-house activities.

Roubina Taufiq Shah, commercial secretary of Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, said although women constitute 50 percent of South Asian population, their potential is not utilised. "This is a great wastage of human resources."

"Pakistani entrepreneurs are coming here to improve their market access. They will showcase latest design and fashionable items to woo Bangladeshi customers and have one-on-one meeting with local counterparts to get insight of the customers' demand trend," she added.

Kawsar Zia, vice-president of Pakistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "We are long been associated with Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh and participated in a number of fairs at different levels here. We also invite Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs to take part in fairs to explore Pakistan market."

Apart from WEAB members, members of National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Handicrafts Manufacturers and Exporters Association will take part in the festival. The fair will remain open from 11:00am to 10:00pm from November 2 to 7. Entry fee is fixed at Tk20 for each person.

There will be demonstrations by Bangladeshi participants on Jamdani saree and Nakshikantha at the festival. Jewellery, handicraft and cottage items like artificial flowers, bed sheets, pillow covers will be available at the fair.

Mahmuda Haq Chowdhury, the first Bangladeshi women ambassador, Naaz Farhana Ahmed, vice-president of WEAB, and Shahruk Rahman, secretary general of SCWEC and WEAB, were also present at the press conference.