BSTI’s capacity to be expanded to ensure global standards
Industries, Commerce and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Wednesday said the government would expand the capacity, manpower and operational scope of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) to ensure product quality, protect consumer rights and public health.
“Maintaining standards is not merely about the quality of products; it is directly linked to human dignity and safe living,” he said while addressing a discussion marking World Standards Day 2026 at the Officers’ Club in the capital as the chief guest, said a press release.
The minister said ensuring the quality of products ranging from construction materials and food items to fuel and everyday consumer goods was a responsibility of the state.
Consumers must have confidence in the quality and safety of the products they purchase, he added.
Highlighting food safety as a priority, Muktadir said the government would further strengthen BSTI’s activities to ensure food purity and protect public health.
He also urged BSTI to take more initiatives to align Bangladesh’s standards with international requirements, enhance the global acceptance of halal certification and pursue mutual recognition arrangements with relevant institutions in different countries.
Regarding the expansion of BSTI’s capacity, the minister said three important development projects were currently being undertaken by the institution.
Under one of the initiatives, a 13-storey building would be constructed at the BSTI complex at an estimated cost of around Tk 850 crore, with plans to establish approximately 63 new laboratories there.
In addition, laboratories would be established in 10 more districts, while an initiative has been taken to set up a metrology laboratory at a cost of around Tk 450 crore, he said.
The minister said Bangladesh needed to develop a world-class testing and quality-control system to increase the acceptance of its products in international markets after graduating from the least developed country (LDC) category.
To achieve this goal, the government would strengthen BSTI’s institutional capacity and manpower while expanding its services across the country, he added.
Referring to media reports about the alleged presence of heavy metals and lead in soybean oil, Muktadir said 193 samples of soybean oil from different brands available in the domestic market had been tested.
No harmful metals or lead were detected in the tested samples, he said, describing the reports as misleading.
“The soybean oil available in the Bangladesh market is safe, and no harmful adulterant metals or lead were found in the samples tested,” he said.
The minister stressed the importance of conducting reliable tests and publishing accurate information to dispel public confusion over product quality.
He said the government was working to strengthen quality-control activities to build public confidence and ensure a safe living environment, seeking cooperation from all concerned to achieve the goal.
BSTI Director General Kazi Imdadul Haque chaired the discussion.
Industries Ministry Secretary Abdun Naser Khan, Chief Coordinator for SDG Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office Professor Dr SM Abdul Awal, FBCCI Administrator Md Fazlul Haque, Bangladesh Accreditation Board Director General Md Aminul Islam and BSTI Director Md Saidul Islam also addressed the programme.
