Bangladesh and India are also participating in the expo. Bangladesh has sent 15 exhibitors and India 10. The exhibition also features tiles, sanitary ware, paints, furniture, water purifiers and construction materials.

Prefab houses are the main attraction of the expo. Visitors could be seen thronging the stalls to enquire about earthquake- and fire-resistant houses. Banks and financial institutions have also opened stalls at the expo.

Speaking at the inauguration, Bangladeshi Ambassador to Nepal Mashes Binte Shams said that the expo would be able to help the rebuilding process in Nepal that was devastated by the April 25 earthquake.

“The country had to bear the loss of human lives and property due to the earthquake. People are still affected by the rains and landslides in various parts of the country. So everyone should have knowledge about safe buildings. I hope that lots of private organisations from Bangladesh can help in the rebuilding process,” she said.

The ambassador added that people should use standard materials along with the best infrastructure design while making houses. The exhibitors from Bangladesh are showcasing various types of building materials.

Likewise, Krishna Bhakta Duwal, chief executive officer of Gorkha Eco Panel which is the title sponsor of the event, said everyone should use earthquake-resistant panels instead of old building materials like cement and stone in earthquake-prone countries like Nepal.

He also urged the government to promote the production of raw materials for prefab homes in the country. According to traders, most of the materials needed for prefab homes are imported from India, China and Thailand, among other countries. Gorkha Eco Panel offers calcium silicate-expanded polystyrene-cement based panel. The panels are priced at Rs175 per square foot.

Similarly, Rahul Agrawal, executive director of Horizon Infratech, said that enquiries about prefab homes had been flooding in after the earthquake. “People are looking for cheap, easy to build and earthquake-resistant homes these days. So we are offering houses as per need,” he added. The company is showcasing pre-engineered steel structure buildings and prefab houses which cost Rs1,600 per square foot.

Hari Pokharel, a visitor from Bhaktapur, said the expo had been fruitful for him. “The earthquake destroyed my house, and I am now planning to make an earthquake-resistant house. So I am looking for very affordable types of homes that are earthquake-proof. I found that prefab houses cost 25 percent less than regular concrete houses,” he said.

The expo will run through Sunday and the ticket price has been fixed at Rs25 per person.