A furniture fair is not exactly my idea of an afternoon outing. However, when my expat friend, who is returning to Dhaka to finally settle down, decided to explore the local furniture market, the ongoing five-day National Furniture Fair at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) seemed like the right choice.

Bangladesh’s furniture industry requires skilled manpower in order to earn more foreign exchange through exports while meeting domestic demand, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said yesterday.