Bill seeking int’l standard in maintaining weight, measurement passed

The 'Standards of Weights and Measures Bill, 2018', was passed in Parliament on Tuesday, seeking to achieve the international standard in maintaining weight and measurement of products.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu moved the Bill and it was passed by voice vote, reports UNB.

The proposed law says anyone using non-standard weights without prior approval from the government will be awarded maximum six months' jail or maximum Tk 20,000 fine instead of six months of jail or Tk 3,000 fine under the existing law.

Besides, there is a provision in the draft law to award one year's jail or a fine Tk 100,000 for non-standard weights and measurements.

Anyone to be found involved in changing the standards of weights and measures will be awarded maximum two years of imprisonment or be fined Tk 50,000.

A provision is also there for maximum one year of imprisonment or Tk 50,000 as fine for producing non-standard weights and measures for the purpose of export.

For the purpose, the original Standard of Weights and Measures Ordinance 1982 has been translated into Bangla and modified through incorporating the issues related with the international organisations such as Asia Pacific Meteorology Programme (APMP), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electro-technical Commission (IEC).

Besides, the issues related to Codex Alimentarius Commission, South Asia Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO), International Bureau of Weights and Measures and the International Organisation of Legal Meteorology were also incorporated in the draft law.