A six-day Saarc Handicraft Exhibition will begin here on Sunday, aiming to strengthen mutual harmony among Saarc countries through promoting the traditional local handicraft industry and developing the cultural institutions. Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad made the announcement at a press briefing at the PID conference room of the Secretariat on Thursday. The Saarc Cultural Centre, based in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with Bangladesh’s Culture Affairs will hold the exhibition at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad will formally inaugurate the exhibition on Sunday morning. Speaking at the press briefing, Abul Kalam Azad said four Saarc countries –– India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Sri Lanka — will take part in the exhibition apart from host Bangladesh. Around 18 craftsmen from Bangladesh will participate in the six-day event while eight from India, 10 from Pakistan, six from Sri Lanka and four from Bhutan. The minister said this year’s exhibition will be held under four sections — Saarc exhibition on handicraft, design workshop, buyers/sellers meet and review meeting on Saarc map of cultural industries. Craftsmen from all the Saarc member states will display and sell their best products over the six days of exhibition, he said, a special design workshop will be held for the benefit of participating representatives of the industry. “The workshop will be conducted by trained professionals of handicraft and design, who would also focus on increasing the marketability of such products, within and outside the Saarc region,” he said. Azad said a special buyers-sellers meet will be organised on the 5th day of the exhibition to further promote the interests of weavers at this exhibition. The objectives of the Saarc handicraft exhibition are to identify, nourish and protect the fading traditional crafts, with specific focus on handicrafts of the Saarc member states to posterity; to improve market facilities for the products of cultural industries; to look into the various aspects of cultural industries, such as the economic, legal, technological, and educational aspects of the product of cultural industries, and to execute and display the skills of the craftsmen, of the Saarc region, all in one location, according to the Saarc Cultural Centre. – UNB
