The government plans to expand the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution’s (BSTI) testing capacity, manpower and nationwide operations, including setting up around 63 new laboratories and testing facilities in 10 more districts, Industries Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said on Wednesday.
The initiatives are aimed at strengthening product quality control, protecting consumers and improving the global competitiveness of Bangladeshi goods, particularly after the country graduates from the least developed country (LDC) category, he said.
Speaking at a discussion marking World Standards Day at the Officers’ Club on Bailey Road in Dhaka on Wednesday, the minister said the government would gradually strengthen the BSTI’s institutional capacity to ensure the quality and safety of products ranging from food and fuel to construction materials and everyday consumer goods.
He said three major development projects were underway to expand the institution’s facilities.
These include construction of a 13-storey building at the BSTI complex at an estimated cost of Tk850 crore, with plans to establish around 63 new laboratories there.
The government also plans to set up laboratories in 10 additional districts and establish a metrology laboratory at an estimated cost of Tk450 crore, he said.
Muktadir stressed that ensuring food purity would remain a priority, with stronger testing and quality-control measures needed to protect public health and consumer safety.
He also called on the BSTI to align its standards with international requirements, improve the global acceptance of halal certification and pursue mutual recognition arrangements with relevant institutions in other countries.
Such measures would help improve the acceptance of Bangladeshi products in international markets, especially in the post-LDC period, he said.
The minister said quality standards were not merely technical requirements but were directly linked to consumer confidence, human dignity and safe living conditions.
Consumers should be able to trust the quality and safety of the products they buy, while the state had a responsibility to ensure that standards were maintained, he added.
BSTI Director General Kazi Imdadul Haque chaired the event. Industries Secretary Abdun Naser Khan, the prime minister’s SDG affairs chief coordinator Professor SM Abdul-Awal, FBCCI Administrator Md Fazlul Haque and Bangladesh Accreditation Board Director General Md Aminul Islam also spoke.