BUILD’s Virtual Dialogue Identifying the Challenges and Measuring Gaps of Present Standardization Capability in Bangladesh for Export Potential Products

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) is keen to align its efforts with international standards for which it is already working with academia to have research-based product standardisation and upgrading its capacity by setting up new laboratories to ensure proper testing and standards certification for a variety of sectors, said Dr Md. Nazrul Anwar, Director General of BSTI. On Tuesday, 25 May 2021, he was speaking at a Virtual Dialogue on Identifying the Challenges and Measuring Gaps of Present Standardisation Capability in Bangladesh for Export Potential Products.

Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD), in collaboration with IFC-WBG, organised the webinar.

He also said that BSTI has taken two projects on setting up 90 laboratories for product standardisation and certificate issuing and establish its logistics infrastructure in 10 more districts.

However, it takes six months to complete the adaptation of international standards; it takes more than three years to set a product standard. Thus, global product standards adaptation is more time saving than setting up new product standards. BSTI welcomes the recommendations and suggestions from the private sector. Close coordination among the stakeholders will help the government to reach the export target, export market expansion and export diversification, said he.

While moderating the dialogue, Ferdaus Ara Begum, CEO, BUILD in the beginning delineated the objectives of the dialogue informed that in order to become a successful and competitive exporter in the current global market, they must be ensured that their products fulfil the strict requirements of quality demanded by the foreign markets. In this respect, up-to-date information on technical regulations specified in standards or technical regulations set by WTO as demanded by the foreign markets is critical.

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