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The authority of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) will set up 89 new state-of-the-art labs aiming to ensure international standard of local products for gearing up export.
"The BSTI will set up new 89 labs soon that will play a significant role in increasing the country's exports," said Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun as the chief guest at a discussion at BSTI head office in the city on Sunday.
State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Majumder was present as the special guest at the discussion on 'Metrology in the Digital Era' held to mark the World Metrology Day on Sunday.
The industries minister said that the new labs are going to be launched as part of the government's ongoing efforts to make BSTI as an international standard institution.
The BSTI has been conducting tests on different products including foods, chemical, electric, jute goods by using different types of labs.
Mr Humayun said that so far the institution has advanced a lot in its quest to become an international standard one.
"The government is working to ensure the BSTI's test reports (on products) to be international standard," he added.
He stressed the need to protect the consumers' interests by maintaining quality of products, measurement and standard by the BSTI.
Addressing the event, Kamal Ahmed Majumder said that the BSTI will intensify its ongoing drive to prevent deception on products quality, weight and standard by a section of unscrupulous traders.
He said that due to the BSTI's ongoing drives, the unscrupulous traders were being fined and punished and people were increasingly getting quality products with accurate weights.
Senior Vice-President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu proposed BSTI to set-up labs at all land ports with India for gearing up bilateral trade trade between Bangladesh and India.
He called upon the government to sign an agreement with India so that Indian authority could accept certificates being issued by BSTI on Bangladeshi products.
He said that if there was such an agreement between the two countries then food products export from Bangladesh to neighbouring country will be increased significantly.
He requested the BSTI to incorporate representatives from district chamber and business association before carrying out mobile courts drive by the institution.
He said that the whole business community should not be blamed for misdeeds being committed by a handful of so called traders.
He also called upon the BSTI to be strict during its mobile court drives to protect the image of the genuine traders.
The BSTI has started issuing halal certificates to increase country's export apart from carrying out tests for ensuring products quality and issuance of certificates.
It is also working to ensure measurement of the products and provide management system certificates.
BSTI Director General Dr Md Nazrul Anwar presided over the discussion while Director (Metrology) of the BSTI Engineer Md Sajjadul Bari offered vote of thanks.
Industries Secretary Jakia Sultana and BSTI's high officials were present at the event.