Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun on Monday warned the unscrupulous traders about producing, selling or marketing substandard products and faulty measurement.
"Earlier, the traders had been given time to maintain the standard of their items. Now, there is no time to maintain. Zero tolerance policy will be strictly followed if any traders found guilty of producing, selling or marketing substandard items", said Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun.
He said this while addressing a seminar on World Metrology Day 2019 organised by Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI) at BSTI auditorium in the capital.
The theme for World Metrology Day 2019 is 'The International System of Units- Fundamentally Better'. The theme was chosen because on 16 November 2018, the General Conference on Weights and Measures in Versailles and agreed one of the most significant sets of changes to the International System of Units (the SI) since its inspection in 1960.
"The measurement is most important in producing and marketing of a product. We want to ensure accurate measurement in producing and selling essential goods, medical treatment and all the sectors as well", the minister said.
"Despite our limited manpower, we have become capable to make BSTI as a world class testing institute. To give the world-class metrology service, we have built six laboratories under National Metrology Laboratory (NML) of BSTI. These laboratories already got the accreditation from Norway Accreditation Authority (NA) and Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB)", he informed.
In his speech, State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Mojumder said, "We have lost our jute market and shrimp market in world market because of exporting substandard jute and shrimp; unscrupulous traders mixed water in jute and inject iron materials in shrimp. Now, we want to regain the lost market."
In his speech, Secretary of industries ministry Md Abdul Halim said, "We want to make sure that the seal or mark which is given on the packet of a product is correct. The BSTI is working to ensure it."
BSTI Director General Md. Muazzem Hossain, "BSTI is responsible by law for the maintenance of the national measurement standards, which have celebrity in world market. We have marketed about 1800 products through our laboratory test."
Some 21 products that have obtained license from BSTI can enter Indian market without testing, Muazzem added.
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