The country's sixth knit exposition will kick off January 25 to attract Japanese buyers.

The event will be held on the sideline of 'Japan Fashion Week's (JFW)-International Fashion Fair (IFF)-2012 in Japan.

BKMEA vice president Monsoor Ahmed said, "This knit exposition 2012 will help export knit products worth $750 million in the couple of years to Japan. It will account for only five per cent of Japan's total import of knit products per year."

Mr Ahmed said Japan imports $15 billion worth of products per year. Japanese importers are taking 'China plus' policy in apparel import and it has created opportunity for Bangladesh as sourcing country.

"Bangladesh has outshined Vietnam, Italy, Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia in terms of its product versatility, comparatively low labour cost and quality product," he said this at a press conference on the sixth knit exposition at the BKMEA office in the city.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) will organise the three-day exposition at west exhibition hall of big sight at Tokyo.

BKMEA president Selim Osman said there will be 32 stalls in the exposition and a 125- member delegation headed by BKMEA vice president Monsoor Ahmed will take part in the exposition.

He said, "Two stage GSP facilities has created a big opportunity to increase export to Japan and this fair will help introduce our products to the Japanese importers."

Mr Osman said at this moment low interest rate on lending and 10 per cent cash incentives against knitwear export are badly needed to boost up the knitwear sector of the country.

"We have already started exporting to Russia, Mexico and South Africa and are hopeful to enter into Brazil, Latin America and other countries,"

He said, "We have a plan to organise expositions in India, Russia, South Korea, and Malaysia this year to crate markets for our knit products."

BKMEA second vice president Mohammad Hatem said the target of knitwear export of the fiscal year 2011-12 is $10.8 billion.

"In the first half of this fiscal the local knitwear makers exported $ 4.7 billion which should be $ 5.4 billion in the second half to fulfill the target," he added.