BSTI Registation And Permission in Bangladesh

PROCEDURE FOR BSTI CERTIFICATION

BSTI Registration

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) was established by the Government through an Ordinance passed in July 1985. BSTI is headed by a Director General (Additional Secretary to the Government).

The primary activities of BSTI include:

• Standardization of services and products.
• Introduction of the international unit system of weights and measures and promotion of metrology services.
• Promotion of quality assurance activities.
• Rendering testing facilities for services and products.
• Preparation, promotion, and adoption of national standards.

The Institution also takes steps to create awareness among various bodies and entrepreneurs for the adoption of key ISO standards (ISO 9000, 14000, etc.). BSTI signed the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC) affiliate country program pledge in 2001.

The importance of BSTI registration is increasingly recognized due to the government’s policy to make industries export-oriented and to provide consumers at home and abroad with quality products.

BSTI Registration Process

8 Steps for Obtaining Certification of Marks (CM) License:

Any company or producer intending to use the Standard Mark of BSTI must apply to the Institution for obtaining a CM license in a prescribed form.

After receiving the application and necessary documents, an inspection is arranged, and the inspection report is prepared.

If the inspection report is satisfactory, samples are collected randomly, signed, and sealed by the BSTI Officer and the producer.

The collected samples are tested in the BSTI Laboratory or any other laboratory approved by BSTI according to the relevant Bangladesh Standard (BDS).

If the test results conform to the relevant BDS, a license is granted for that product.

Typically, a license is granted for three years and can be renewed if subsequent samples meet the same standards.

A licensee must pay fees to BSTI, which are as follows:

• Application fee: Tk. 1000 for new applications and Tk. 500 for renewals.
• License fee: Tk. 200 per year.
• Marking fee: Tk. 0.07% of the Ex-factory price for fruit items and Tk. 0.10% for other items (Minimum Tk. 1250 to Maximum Tk. 10,00,000 for fruit items; Minimum Tk. 1875 to Maximum Tk. 15,00,000 for other items).

A license can be canceled, withdrawn, or revoked if any conditions specified in the license and BSTI Ordinance are violated.

Preliminary Inspection

Preliminary inspections are conducted on a mutually agreed date to assess the availability of facilities for producing a standard product and to draw samples for testing. The inspection details are recorded in a preliminary inspection report, which is used to decide on the license grant.

Information Collected During Preliminary Inspection:

• General information about the company.
• Raw materials used.
• Manufacturing process.
• Packing and marking procedures.
• Laboratory and inspection procedures.
• Hygienic and environmental conditions at food processing plants.
• Testing facilities available according to Bangladesh Standards.
• Storage facilities.
• Testing personnel.

Sample Collection

Two sets of samples are collected randomly, sealed with the signatures of the inspection officer and the applicant's representative. One set is submitted to the BSTI lab, while the other remains with the applicant as a reference.

Testing

Samples collected during the preliminary inspection are submitted to any of the BSTI Laboratories in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, or Khulna. The applicant bears the testing fees. If the testing is conducted at non-BSTI laboratories, the applicant pays the fees directly.

Grant/Renewal of License

After completing the formalities, if the preliminary inspection report and test results meet the relevant Bangladesh Standard, BSTI registration is granted for the product. Following the payment of the license and marking fees, a license is issued.

The licensee must apply for renewal three months before the license expires. The license is renewed every three years, provided that the test results of the collected samples remain consistent with the BDS.