BSTI to install more 89 labs: Nurul Majid

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun on Sunday said the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) will set up 89 laboratories to ensure world-class services in testing quality, weight, and measurement of products.

“The laboratories will play a pivotal role in export trading and make the BSTI a world-class entity for delivering required services,” said the minister.

Nurul Majid made the remarks while addressing an event titled ‘Metrology in the Digital Era’ held at BSTI headquarters in the capital marking the World Metrology Day.

The minister said with the enhancement of domestic product export, the BSTI has already commenced issuing certification on quality measurement, testing, correct weight, and ‘halal’.

State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Mojumder, Industries Secretary Zakia Sultana, and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu were present at the event with BSTI Director-General Dr Md Nazrul Anwar in the chair.

The minister said alongside formulating and implementing product standards, the BSTI is also conducting regular mobile court and surveillance activities to prevent the production and supply of sub-standard products and weight fraud.

“At the same time, the laboratories of BSTI are providing instrument calibration services of weight and measuring used in various industries including export-oriented garments industry and pharmaceutical industry,” he added.

With building institutional capacity, the government will set up 10 regional offices, and new laboratories, and extend the existing laboratories to the field level.

The BSTI DG presented various development issues and projects. He said the BSTI now issues the certificate of pure gold by scrutinising and has taken some projects for modernisation and expansion of Physics, Chemistry and Metrology Labs considering the growth of industrial plants and current demand.

Besides, the work of bringing BSTI services under full automation is in the final stage, he said adding that halal certification of products has begun to expand exports.