DHAKA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The 14th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) kicked off on Thursday in Bangladesh's capital city Dhaka to showcase local and foreign products to bolster trade between Bangladesh and other countries.

    The month long grand annual fair, jointly organized by the Bangladesh's Ministry of Commerce and Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), also aimed to introduce the country's local traders with foreign cutting edge technologies.

    The EPB Vice Chairman Md Shahab Ullah said that a total of 467 organizations from both Bangladesh and 13 other countries including China, India and Japan are taking part in the fair.

    He said the exhibition will showcase a wide range of local and foreign products, including machinery and equipment, agriculture and gardening materials, carpets, chemicals and allied products, cosmetics, dairy products, electrical and electronic items.

    Director General of the EPB Khalilur Rahman said, "We are expecting to receive spot orders for export of our goods worth about 500 million taka (about 7 million U.S. dollars) from the fair."

    "The fair gives ample opportunities to compare and evaluate our domestic products with international ones in terms of quality and price," Bangladesh's President Iajuddin Ahmed said at the inaugural ceremony.

    The DITF has been playing an important role in boosting the country's trade and wooing foreign investment since its inception, he said.

    During the 13th Dhaka International Trade Fair, Bangladesh's manufacturers received about 300 million taka (about 4.3 million U.S. dollars) spot orders for export, 15 percent higher than that of previous fair.