Bangladesh: Product Compliance regulations

 

Bangladesh has notified its exisitng product compliance regulations.  These are:

•   Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Act, 2018
•   Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institutions Regulations 2022
•   Weight and Measures Act, 2018
•   Package Commodities Rules, 2021

The first Act establishes Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and defines its functions and responsibilities. It prohibits the use of BSTI standard marks (logo) without having its license and sets terms and conditions of obtaining BSTI license, clearance for the imported commodities for sales and distribution of products.

Recently, the scope of the BSTMI mark has been extended.  At the end of 2023, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has mandated the use of its standardization mark for 36 newly added products, which include sweets, jute bags, pressure cookers, LPG gas cylinders, and microwave ovens, effective by November 25.

Previously, 238 products were under BSTI’s mandatory quality certification mark, which will now increase to 274. This initiative aims to ensure product quality and safeguard consumer rights.

Manufacturers are required to affix BSTI’s standardization mark either on product labels or directly on the products themselves, as stated in a circular issued by the state-run agency on September 25. Additionally, the BSTI has prohibited the sale, distribution, and commercial advertisement of products that do not meet agency standards.

These circulars will become effective two months after their publication, according to the watchdog overseeing food and manufacturing items.

BSTI’s certification marks wing deputy director, Md Reazul Haque, mentioned that standards have been established for 4,200 products so far, with 274 products now requiring the mandatory mark, including the newly added ones.

Producers must first have their product standards tested at BSTI to utilize the standardization mark or BSTI logo. Failure to comply may result in a fine of Tk 2 lakh or imprisonment for four years or both, in accordance with BSTI law.

The newly added products requiring BSTI’s standardization mark include sweetmeats, pressure cookers, LPG gas cylinders, microwave ovens, bitumen and bituminous binders, polymer-modified bitumen, green tea, soy sauce, chutneys, decorated cakes, malt-based food and drinks, chhana, cheese varieties, hair cream, kajol, face packs, glycerine toilet soap, liquid toilet soap, transparent toilet soap, clean cook stoves and cooking solutions, industrial safety helmets, various types of jute bags for rice, pulses, and food grains, textile lightweight jute bags, nonwoven wipes, silk fabrics, synthetic mosquito nets, towels, toweling, lead-acid traction batteries, UPS, single-face motors, and toothbrushes.

To find out more about product compliance regulations in Bangladesh, please contact the Product Compliance Institute directly.