Six international exhibitions open at ICCB in Bashundhara, with up to $4 billion in solar investment opportunities cited

Six international exhibitions covering construction, housing, power, solar energy, lighting and water management are under way at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital. The three-day exhibitions are showcasing modern technology, products and services from local and foreign companies.

State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad was the chief guest at the opening ceremony held on Thursday at the ICCB's Nabaratri Hall. The ceremony was chaired by Meherun N Islam, president and group managing director of CEMS-Global USA and Asia-Pacific.

Organised by the Conference and Exhibition Management Services (CEMS-Global USA), the exhibitions are the 31st Build Bangladesh, the 25th Real Estate Expo, the 28th Power Bangladesh, the 23rd Solar Bangladesh, the 8th Dhaka International Lighting Expo and the 8th Water Bangladesh International Expo.

In his speech as chief guest, State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad said the government is working to restore the life of the rivers of riverine Bangladesh and to recover their navigability. Although there are different statistics on the number of rivers in the country, he said, the main question is how many rivers have natural water flow and navigability.

As special guest, Dr Ashraful Alam, a member of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), said the government wants the private sector's cooperation to reach a target of generating 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts of electricity from solar power within the next three to four months. There is an investment opportunity of about three to four billion dollars in this sector, he said.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Industries Riasat Al Wasif, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Nargis Murshida and Director General of Invest Bangladesh Gazi AKM Fazlul Haque also spoke at the ceremony.

The exhibitions feature construction materials, machinery, construction technology, lifts, interiors, housing projects, power generation technology, solar panels, batteries, inverters and various renewable energy products. Smart lighting, LED technology, water purification, wastewater management, salinity removal and smart water management technology are also on display.

The organisers said the three-day exhibitions will run until Saturday and will remain open to visitors every day from 10am to 7pm. They hope the exhibitions will increase contact among entrepreneurs, investors, importers, manufacturers and professionals in the relevant sectors and create new business possibilities.