Omer Salahuddin, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Bangladesh, met Mr. Muhammad Hasan Arif, Vice Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), at the EPB office in Dhaka on 21 September 2026. Mr. Arif had visited Texworld Apparel Sourcing in Paris earlier this month and met with several Bangladeshi exhibitors, and this meeting was a follow-up to that visit. The meeting covered Bangladesh’s participation in upcoming Messe Frankfurt trade fairs and how the Bangladeshi industry can benefit more from Messe Frankfurt’s extensive network.
Bangladesh already has a strong presence at Messe Frankfurt events, including Apparel Sourcing in Paris and the USA, Heimtextil and Ambiente in Frankfurt, and the upcoming Eurobike.
The discussion focused on the following areas:
Future fairs
The two sides reviewed the upcoming calendar and agreed on the importance of confirming space early so that Bangladeshi companies get good locations in the halls. They also discussed the best ways to drive traffic to the national country pavilions at such large shows.
Market visibility
Mr. Salahuddin outlined how Messe Frankfurt can support Bangladesh beyond floor space. This includes stronger branding of the national pavilion, seminars about Bangladesh, and press and media exposure during the fairs. Bangladesh’s story is bigger than volume. The goal is to show buyers the quality, compliance and sustainability work the industry has put in.
Exhibitor preparation
Messe Frankfurt Bangladesh will work with the EPB on pre-show sessions in Dhaka so that first-time exhibitors know how to prepare, follow up with buyers and get real returns from their participation. Different countries and products have their own way of displaying, and just attending an exhibition is not enough. More focus needs to be put on trends, colors and display methods.
Sustainability
Bangladesh has more LEED-certified green factories than any other country, but buyers often don’t know it. Messe Frankfurt shows have dedicated sustainability platforms, such as the Heimtextil Green Directory and Econogy Finder at Apparel Sourcing Paris, and both sides agreed Bangladeshi exhibitors should use these platforms to feature their sustainability efforts.
Omer Salahuddin said: “We look forward to having an information booth at the upcoming Global Sourcing Show in Dhaka in November, and we have a number of activities planned for the end of 2026 and the start of 2027. In such challenging times, it is important for manufacturers to be even more visible to their customers and buyers, and this is equally true for us as Messe Frankfurt. We plan to be more active in Dhaka over the next few months. When exhibiting abroad, companies are paying in euros or dollars, along with travel, freight and stand costs, so it is important to choose the right fair carefully and not waste money, time and effort on low-quality shows.”
