The 57th World Standards Day will be observed in Bangladesh today, with a focus on promoting affordable and clean energy and ensuring the efficient use of energy.
This year’s theme is “Shared Vision for a Better World – Affordable and Clean Energy,” said a press release.
The day is observed worldwide every year to raise awareness about the importance of standards in ensuring the quality of products and services.
The theme has been jointly set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all is the seventh Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations.
Achieving this goal requires not only increasing energy production but also ensuring the optimum use of every unit of energy generated.
The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has formulated 79 Bangladesh Standards for solar panels, inverters, charge controllers and batteries to ensure the durability, performance and quality of solar power systems.
These standards are regularly updated in line with international benchmarks.
So far, BSTI has formulated a total of 4,631 Bangladesh Standards.
The BSTI headquarters houses a solar panel testing laboratory equipped with an advanced German-made “Sun Simulator,” which can test solar panels with a capacity of up to 1,000 watts.
The laboratory assesses solar panel performance and quality using advanced light sources and calibrated equipment in accordance with international guidelines.
To mark the day, BSTI has planned discussions and awareness campaigns at its headquarters as well as divisional and regional offices.
Banners, festoons and placards have also been displayed at important locations across the capital.
Alongside setting standards for industrial and manufactured products, BSTI has been expanding its activities to protect consumer rights.
It works to maintain product quality through standardisation, testing and certification of food products, construction materials, electrical equipment, jute and textile products, and chemicals.
During the 2025-26 fiscal year, BSTI conducted around 3,000 drives and surveillance operations to enforce product quality standards, prevent the production and marketing of adulterated and substandard goods, and ensure accurate weights and measures.
The operations resulted in fines totalling Tk 38,030,100, while 33 establishments were sealed and nine people were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment for various offences.
According to BSTI statistics, 924 cases were filed through mobile courts during the fiscal year, of which 921 were settled. Another 87 cases were filed under surveillance operations. The drives also examined irregularities involving weights and measurements alongside violations of product quality standards.
During the same period, BSTI issued 3,916 new licences and renewed 4,911 licences, while rejecting 835 licence applications. Currently, 335 categories of products are covered by BSTI’s mandatory certification scheme.
Under BSTI rules, products covered by mandatory certification requirements cannot be manufactured, marketed or sold without the relevant certification.
A licence for one product does not automatically establish that all products manufactured by the same company meet the required standards. Separate certification must be obtained for each product on the mandatory list, in accordance with applicable regulations.
Imported products covered by the relevant requirements are also subject to quality verification and testing.
BSTI regularly inspects factories and markets, collects samples for laboratory testing and monitors compliance with licensing conditions. Depending on the nature of violations, the institution may initiate legal proceedings, impose fines, halt the sale and distribution of products, seal factories or suspend or cancel licences.
BSTI also works to prevent manipulation of weights and measures. During FY26, it carried out calibration and verification of weighing and measuring instruments, including equipment used to measure fuel deliveries at filling stations, to identify irregularities and ensure accurate measurements.
To strengthen its product-testing capacity, BSTI has planned a project worth around Tk 8.52 billion for the expansion and modernisation of its physical and chemical testing laboratories.
The planned initiatives also include installing modern equipment, upgrading laboratory infrastructure, expanding testing facilities at the regional level and increasing the availability of skilled personnel.
Through these initiatives, BSTI aims to strengthen quality assurance, improve compliance with national standards and ensure that consumers have access to safe and quality products.
-BSS
