Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution

And

It’s Contribution to Quality Standard.

Executive Summary:

With the Liberation of our country as an independent and sovereign state Bangladesh

Standards Institution started functioning since 1971.There was an another government

department named The Central Testing laboratory (CTL) which was established in

Dhaka in 1956 to provide testing facilities to government, private industries,

Organizations and business community.

In 1985 Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institution comes into being through an

Ordinance (Ordinance XXXVII of 1985) with the merger of Bangladesh Standards

Institution and the Central Testing Laboratories.

In this report, we tried to highlight the salient features of BSTI, its activities, capabilities.

Also we focused on its future projects and the limitations as well. Which we think, will be

beneficial to BSTI and the customers.

Contents

Topic Page no.1.Introduction

1.a. Bangladesh Standard and testing Institute1.b The Objective of the study1.c Mission, vision and goals1.d The main purpose of forming BSTI1.e Organs of BSTI

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2.Laws governing BSTI 53.Methodology 64.The Contribution of BSTI to quality standard 65.Activities of BSTI

5.a Standard wingSelectional CommitteesStandard preparation workPublication ActivitiesLibrary, Documentation and Technical Information Center

5.b Physical Testing Wing

5.c Chemical Testing Wing

5.d Certification Marks wing

5.e Metrology activities:

5.f International Activities of BSTI:

5.g.WTO-TBT activities in BSTI:

5.h. Management System Certification (MSC) Cell:

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6. Development of BSTI 137. Limitations of BSTI 148. Recommendations 159. Conclusion 1610.Bibiliography 16

1. Introduction:

1.a Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) andits Inception:

Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), the only National Standards bodyof Bangladesh, is playing an important role in developing and Promotingindustrial Standardization. Keeping in view that Standardization, metrology, testing andquality control in the industrial spheres are the basic pre-requisite of the infrastructurenecessary for sound economic development of the country, the Government ofBangladesh has established the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI)with the merger of Bangladesh Standards Institution and the Central TestingLaboratories in 1985 through promulgating "The Bangladesh Standards and TestingInstitution Ordinance, 1985(Ordinance XXXVII of 1985)".

The BSTI is a body corporate and its administrative Ministry is the Ministry of Industries.

The Institution so formed has become member of the International Organization forstandardization(ISO) in 1974. At present, BSTI is the Member/AffiliateMember/ Contact Point/ Nodal Point of the following International/RegionalOrganizations:

International Organization for Legal Metrology (OIML) Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) of FAO/WHO International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Asia Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP) Asian Forum for Information Technology (AFIT) ISO Information Network (ISO NET) Standing Group for Standardization, Metrology, Testing and Quality

The Institutions task is to prepare Standards for all articles, products, methods andservices. The Institution can bring any product under BSTI's Compulsory Certificationmarking after approval of the Govt. A regulation has already been notified by specialRegulatory order named BSTI Regulation 1989 for this purpose. The BSTI markscannot be used under any circumstances by others without approval inadvance from BSTI. Only the standards approved, and passed by the Institution arecalled Bangladesh Standards. As a rule, the Bangladesh Standards are voluntary. Thecompulsoriness of a standard requires of being as Bangladesh one..Compulsory

standards are published in the Official Gazette. The authority to which the Institutionreports is the Ministry of Industries.

1.b The Objective of the study:

The main objective of the study was to find out the contribution of Bangladesh Standardand Testing Institution (BSTI) in quality standard. We already know BSTI is the onlyNSB in our country. So it is necessary for all of us to have adequate knowledge aboutits resources, activities and capabilities and side by side its limitations as well. Besidesnot enough was conducted study conducted in our country on this silent but activelyimportant organization.

1.c Mission, vision and goals of BSTI:

Vision:BSTI's vision is to help develop the overall economy of Bangladesh through raisingacceptability of BSTI's approved product at home and abroad, improving nationalcapacity in terms of weights and measures & hence increasing recognition,strengthening fair competition, consumer protection and trade facilitation.

Mission:Mission of BSTI is as follows:

To protect public health and to assure safety of their life by controlling quality ofproducts and services. For this purpose, BSTI has its regulatory functions whichis being accomplished as per law.

To protect consumer rights by implementing Metric System in weights andmeasurements.

To facilitate national trade by adopting international standards (if applicable) forour national standards.

Goals:BSTI's goals are to:

Uplift the service to internationally acceptable level Establish BSTI's logo as symbol for quality. Establish BSTI's role as a factor for market access.

1.d The main purpose of forming BSTI:

BSTI is entrusted with the responsibility of formulation of national Standards ofindustrial, food and chemical products keeping in view the regional andinternational standards.

BSTI is responsible for the quality control of the products which are ensured asper specific national standards made by the technical committees formed byBSTI.

BSTI is also responsible for the implementation of metric system and to overseethe accuracy of weights and measures in the country.

1.e Organs of BSTI:

The organs of BSTI are as follows:

1. The BSTI Council2. The sectional Committees3. The Director General and the staff.

The BSTI Council:

The general direction and administration of the affairs and functions of the Institution isvested in a Council, which may exercise all powers and perform all functions, whichmay exercised or performed by the Institution.

Sectional Committees:

The sectional committee approves the draft standards prepared by the concernedpreparatory groups A as Bangladesh Standards, adopts compulsory implementationdecisions on some standards if and when it considers such action expedient, amends orcancels the existing standards where necessary arises therefore.

The Director General and Staff:

BSTI is headed by a Director General who is the principal executive officer of theInstitution and is responsible for the proper administration of the Institution.

2. Laws Governing BSTI:

2.a Laws:

The Laws which governs the BSTI are described below:

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Ordinance, 1985 (OrdinanceNo. XXXVII of 1985).

The Standards of weights and Measures Ordinance, 1982 (Ordinance No. XII of1982).

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (Amendment) Ordinance,1988 (Ordinance No. XI of 1988).

The Standards of weights and Measures(Amendment) Act, 2001 The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Employee Service Rules,

1989. The standards of weights and Measures Rules, 1982 (as Amended, 2006) The Bangladesh Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged

commodities) Rules, 2007.

2.b Regulations: 1. The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Employee Service Rules,

1989. The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Rules 1989. The Standards of Weights and Measures Rules 1982. The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Employee (Pension & Gratuity

Rules 2002).

3. Methodology:

In this research we have used interview method to collect information as the primarysource. We visited BSTI and had an interview of Dr. Syed Humayun Kabir, Director ofStandard wing, BSTI. We also did a research on this topic through different books andInternet as secondary source of information.

4. The contribution of BSTI to quality standard:

To ensure the quality standard and customers interest, BSTI has been working since itsinception. It took various steps. They are:

(a) To set up Bangladesh Standards of quality and dimensions and prepare andpromote the general adoption of standards on national and international basis relating tomaterials, commodities, structures, practices and operations and, from time to time, towithdraw, revise, alter and amend the same;

(b) To consider and recommend to the Government Bangladesh Standards for themeasurement of length, weight mass, volume, and, energy;

(c) To promote standardization, quality control, metrology and simplification in industryand commerce;

(d) To secure compliance with the Bangladesh Standards adopted by the Institution bythe producers and users;

(e) To implement Bangladesh Standards through the administration of a nationalcertification mark scheme or inspection of goods or both;

(t) To provide or arrange facilities for examination, testing and inspection ofcommodities, processes and practices for any investigation, research or promotion ofexport that may be necessary and to issue test reports;

(g) To certify the quality of commodities, materials, produces, products and other thingsincluding food materials, whether for local consumption, export or import;

(h) To co ordinate the efforts of producers and users for the improvement of materials,products, code of practice, appliances, processes and methods, so as to eliminate thenational waste of material and time involved in the production of an unnecessary varietyof patterns and sizes of articles for one and the same purpose;

(i) To establish and publish, in such manner as may be prescribed, the BangladeshStandard Specifications in relation to any article or process or code of practice;

(j) to recognize, adopt or endorse as a Bangladesh Standard, in such manner as maybe prescribed, any standard established by any other Institution in Bangladesh or in anyforeign country, or by international organizations in relation to any article or process;

(k) To specify a Standard Mark to be called the Bangladesh Standards and TestingInstitution Certification Mark which shall be of such design and contain such particularsas may be prescribed to represent a particular Bangladesh Standard;

(l) To grant, renew, reject, suspend or cancel, in such manner as may be prescribed, alicense for the use of Standard Mark;

(m) To make such inspection and take such samples of any material or substance asmay be necessary to see Whether any article or processing relation to which theStandard Mark has been used or proposed to be used conforms to the BangladeshStandard or whether the Standard Mark has been improperly used in relation to any,article or process with or without license;

(n) And many more.

5. Activities of BSTI

5.a Standard Wing:

Sectional Committees (Technical Committees)

The Sectional /Technical Committees are the specialized units for preparing theBangladesh Standards. There are 72 such Sectional /Technical Committees, eachconsists of one Chairman and a number of experts in their own respective fields.

Standard preparation work:

The total number of Standards:

1. BDS – 18882. CAC, ISO, IEC and ISO/IEC– 15533. Grand Total – 3441 (Sept. 2010)

Publication Activities of BSTI Standard Wings

The Publication Section deals with printing of Bangladesh Standards (BDS) Yearbook,Catalogue and other publication related to Standardization according to existingprinting procedure of the institution and sales of publication, maintain liaison with thepress and media and does the PR work.

Library, Documentation and Technical Information Center

BSTI Library, Documentation and Technical Information Center collects standards,documents of similar standards and other technical publications from home and abroad.

5.b Physical Testing wing:

Physical Testing wing consists of 3(three) Divisions as:

Electrical, Electronics and Engineering Division. Civil, Physical and Mechanical Engineering Division. Textile Division.

Their activities are briefly described below:

Electrical, Electronics and Engineering Division

The Electrical, Electronics and Engineering Division performs the functions throughthe following laboratories.

Electrical and Cable Testing Laboratory Electro-mechanical Meter for Active Energy Laboratory

Civil, Physical and Mechanical Engineering Division

Cement Testing Laboratory Brick Testing Laboratory Mechanical Engineering Laboratory

Textile Division

The Textile Division performs the functions through the following laboratories

Textile Mechanical Laboratory Textile Chemical Laboratory

5.c Chemical Testing Wing

BSTI Chemical Lab is Bangladesh’s leading testing laboratory. Established in 1967.BSTI Chemical Labs have an envious track record of serving several market leadersacross the country.

Food and Bacteriological division:

BSTI Food and Bacteriological Lab supports in mandatory certification of food andagricultural products produced either locally or imported from other countries. Besidesthese the Lab does the tests of different kind of samples received from Govt., SemiGovt. and Private Organizations. BSTI Lab assists the food industry for nutritionallabeling, food safety evaluations and trace analysis.

Chemical division

BSTI Chemical Lab supports in mandatory certification of chemical products producedeither locally or imported from other countries. Besides these the Lab does the tests ofdifferent kind of samples received from Govt., Semi Govt. and Private Organizations.

5.d Certification marks wing:

The certification mark is a mark attested that the product or service is in conformity withthe specific standard. The existence of the standard mark on products, certified underthis scheme, enables the consumers to distinguish a quality product from anuntested/substandard product in the market.

Legal basis:

Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) operates the certification marksscheme, under which the manufacturers /importers are licensed to use the standardmark on goods produced / imported by them in conformity to the relevant BangladeshStandard (BDS).

Eight steps for obtaining Certification of Marks (CM) license.

(a) Any Company/producer intends to use, Standard mark of BSTI in relation to anyarticle or process, shall apply to the Institution for obtaining CM licence in a prescribedform.(b) After receiving the application along with necessary and relevant papers aninspection is being arranged and inspection report is prepared.(c) If the inspection report is found satisfactory, then samples are collected on randombasis and those are jointly signed and sealed by the BSTI Officer and the producer.(d) The collected sample is tested in the BSTI Laboratory or any other laboratoryapproved by BSTI according to the relevant Bangladesh Standard (BDS)(e) If the results of the test parameters are found in conformity with the relevant BDS. alicence is granted in favour of that article.(f) Normally a licence is granted for a period of three years, which is being renewed, ifthe samples are found satisfactory after following the same procedure as has beendescribed in sl.no. (b) (e), for a subsequent period of another threeyears.(g) A licence is to pay fees in favor of BSTI which is known as CM fee The break up ofthe CM fees are as follows

(i) Application fee : Tk. 1000 for new and Tk. 500 for renewal(ii) Licence fee : Tk. 200/= per year.(ii) Marking Fee : Tk. 0.07% of Ex. factory price for fruit items and Tk. 0.10% of Ex.

factory price for other items. For fruit items Min. fee Tk. 1250/= to Max. Tk. 10,00,000/=and for other items Min. fee Tk. 1875/= to 15,00,000/=

(h) A licence granted in favour of any article can be cancelled, withdrawn or revoked atany time if it is found that the licence has violated any of the conditions specified in thelicence and BSTI Ordinance as well.

5.e Metrology activities:

Metrology is the science of measurement. Measurements and metrology are essentialto nearly all aspects of human endeavor, as they are used in activities ranging fromproduction control, the measurement of environmental quality, the assessment of healthand safety, and the testing of the quality of materials, food and other products to assurefair trade and consumer protection. Metrology is the science of correct and reliablemeasurement. In Bangladesh, BSTI looks after this.

5.f International Activities of BSTI:

BSTI is actively participating in the Standing Group for Standardization, Metrology,Testing and Quality Activities established by the south Asian Association for RegionalCooperation (SAARC). This Standing group is working on harmonization of Standards,Mutual Recognition Agreements and capacity building in the field of metrology. The lastmeeting of the Standing Group was held on 2-4 February 2002 in New Delhi.

The BSTI maintains relations with BIPM, OIML, APMP, WTO, ITC, codex A.C. of FAOand other international and regional organization. Quality control and informationexperts have been brought to the institution, using opportunities offered by the UNDP,BSTI experts attend meeting, seminars and workshops arranged and sponsored byWTO, ITC, SIDA of Sweden, ISO, PRODEC of Finland, INBAR, APMP, CSC, PORIMetc.

5.g. WTO-TBT activities in BSTI

Bangladesh is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 1 January 1995.Each WTO member must set up a National Enquiry Point which is able to answer allreasonable enquiries on standards, technical regulations, conformity assessmentprocedures, etc. from other members of WTO and other interested parties there.

5.h. Management System Certification (MSC) Cell:

BSTI has already taken a programme to operate Management System Certificationagainst ISO 9001(Quality Management System), ISO 14000 (Environment ManagementSystem), ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management System).

In Bangladesh there are number of private certification agencies working for issuingsystem certification. BSTI is the only Govt. organization, which has started awardingManagement System Certification in the country.

6. Development of BSTI:

6.a. On Going Development Projects of BSTI:

For better and efficient performance, BSTI has taken some steps recently. The ongoingprojects are:

1. Establishment, Modernization & Development of Bangladesh Standards &Testing Institution (BSTI) Regional Offices at Sylhet and Barisal.

2. Modernization of BSTI through Procurement of Sophisticated Equipment &Infrastructure Development of Laboratories for Accreditation.

3. Barrier Removal to the Cost-Effective Development and Implementation ofEnergy Standards & Labeling (BRESL).

4. Modernization and Strengthening of Bangladesh Standards and TestingInstitution (BSTI).

6.b. Upcoming Development Projects of BSTI

1. Establishment of the office of South Asian Regional Standards Organization(SARSO) in Bangladesh.

2. Establishment of Calibration & Verification Facilities of CNG Mass Flow Meterfor CNG Filing Station at regional level.

3. Better Quality Infrastructure of Better Work and Standards Programme (BEST).

4. Expansion and strengthening of BSTI (5 districts)

5. Establishment of Chemical Metrology Laboratory (CML) at NMI in BSTI.

7. Limitations of BSTI:

During our study we found out some limitations of BSTI, which we believe if removed

may increase the efficiency of BSTI. Thus BSTI will be able to give better service to the

mass people of Bangladesh. The limitations of BSTI:

The manpower of BSTI is very low compared to the present actual need.

The machines of BSTI have become old and they are using old technologies. So

to increase efficiency BSTI must buy new machines with up to date technology.

The legal jurisdiction of BSTI is more or less limited compared to the present

scenario of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a developing country with more than 160

million people and BSTI is the only authority to ensure product safety for them.

Another serious limitation we found is t he funding of BSTI. The organization runs

on its own funding. And the fund is not enough for the proper functioning of this

organization.

8. Recommendations:

As we have already said we have found out some limitations, but we want recommend

some procedures which we believe will help BSTI to overcome those limitations and

function smoothly.

BSTI needs to recruit more efficient, honest and energetic man power.

The organization has to buy new machines with up to date technology to keep

pace with the changing world.

The legal jurisdiction of BSTI must be widened.

Government has to provide more Magistrate and law enforcing persons to BSTI.

So that they can ensure the laws regarding product safety are performed well.

BSTI is the only agency in Bangladesh. But unfortunately the organization

doesn’t have enough fund to proper functioning and do more betterment for mass

people. So government can provide a budget for BSTI.

Different training programme can be conducted for employees of BSTI which will

increase their efficiency.

Government must take necessary steps to make BSTI a world class quality

control and accreditation agency. Because if this is happened, the product of

Bangladesh will have an extra value in the International Market.

9. Conclusion:

BSTI, the only NSB of Bangladesh is performing its noble task of setting nationalstandards on various products and provide services to the exporters in sorting theirproblems out and giving advice to resolve those problems. Mention may be made that itis an established fact that for increasing the volume of export basket of a country, a veryhealthy and vibrant relationship between NSBs and TPOs is essentially required.

10. Bibiliography:

1. www.bsti.gov.bd

2. www.consumerbd.org

3. The Daily Star.

4. www.moind.gov.bd

5. www.unido.org

6. www.bssnews.net