World Standards Day

Bangladesh, along with the rest of the world observed the World Standard Day on October 14 with the theme of Sustainable Development Goals, Our Shared Vision for a Better World. Each year on this day, the members of the International Electrical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) celebrate WSD, which is a means of paying tribute to the collaborative efforts of thousands of experts worldwide who develop the voluntary technical agreements that are published as International Standards. By observing the World Standards Day, member countries confirm that they are in the race of making the world a better place to live in.

Recent disasters, particularly the Covid-19 pandemic, have revealed how essential the SDGs are for making our societies and our planet more resilient. World Standards Day 2021 showcases how international standards are contributing to the achievement of the SDGs.

The date 14 October was specifically chosen to mark the date, in 1946 when delegates from 25 countries first assembled in London and decided to create an international organisation focused on facilitating standardization.  Though ISO was formed one year later, it had to wait till 1970, when the first World Standards Day was observed. The aim of the Day is to raise awareness among regulators, industry and consumers as to the importance of standardization to the global economy. Standardisation, industrialisation, and economic growth progress together, as without standardisation optimum growth cannot be achieved. Moreover, international standards, especially with regard to Bangladesh are crucial factors that can channelise the entire outlook of business.

As the national standards organisation, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI), which has been a member of ISO since 1974, has an important role in providing the desired services to the people through formulation and development the standard of products and services. BSTI has to play efficient, accountable and responsible role in fulfilling the confidence of the people.

Bangladesh should strive to access the global market with a wider range of products. For that to happen those products need to meet globally accepted standards. Until now, only RMG products could meet those standards. It is high time that other potential export products did also meet the standards to gain access to the global market. However, when it comes to the case of certifying products for exports, the question of meeting the standards set by the international regulators for the overseas markets would also arise. Is Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI), whose job it is to certify local products, on a par with the international standards? Many believe there are bridges to gap. In order to ensure the quality compliance of the local products for international markets, there is a need for convergence of the standardisation regime of the BSTI with that of the overseas market regulators.

The mismatches between the BSTI’s and the international regulators’ standards needs to be identified and appropriate measures must be taken to address those incongruities as early as possible. On a more positive note, to align its work with that of the international regulators, the BSTI has concentrated its efforts on upgrading its capacity. And, it has begun collaborating with the academia to create a research base for product standardisation. BSTI’s certification procedure has to be synchronised with that of the international regulators. If there are any gaps in this respect, urgent steps need to be taken to bridge those gaps.

Experts agree that it is essential to formulate acceptable standards by all and its implementation for further expansion of the world trade to face the challenge of the 21st century. Without standards the everyday life we know just would not work. From technological gadgets to office and household items to services that fuel the global economy, standards are necessary to ensure safety, dependability and interoperability. Governments use standards as trusted solutions to complement regulation, and they give peace of mind to the consumers.

We hope that the celebration of the World Standards Day in the country will increase awareness about the role standards play in our everyday life and particularly in our economy.