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Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution

department · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head
SM Ferdous Alam
Role
Director General
Annual budget
—
Staff
600
Established
1985
Legal basis
Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institution Act, 2018, replacing the original Ordinance No. XXXVII of 1985 (promulgated July 25, 1985) that merged the Bangladesh Standards Institution (BSI) and the Central Testing Laboratories (CTL)

BSTI is sustaining high-tempo district-level mobile court enforcement across food, cosmetics, and consumer goods, building on the July 2025-January 2026 period during which it conducted 1,537 mobile courts, filed 1,470 cases, and collected Tk 3 crore 58 lakh 5 thousand in fines; the 90-day window shows continued drives in Rajshahi, Khulna, and Chattogram targeting unlicensed food producers, counterfeit cosmetics, and misleading labelling. The institution is simultaneously expanding laboratory infrastructure, having inaugurated the National Halal Laboratory and Bangladesh's first Helmet Testing Laboratory in July 2025, and the new ten-storey self-contained divisional laboratory in Chattogram's Agrabad in June 2025.

Recent activity

Provenance & notes

BSTI was created on July 25, 1985 by Ordinance No. XXXVII of 1985, merging the Bangladesh Standards Institution (BSI) and the Central Testing Laboratories (CTL). It operates under the Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institution Act, 2018 (which replaced the 1985 ordinance). It is headed by a Director General at Grade-1 (Additional Secretary to Government); SM Ferdous Alam assumed the DG post on January 2, 2024, previously serving as Chairman of BIWTC under the Ministry of Shipping; he is a BCS 13th batch administration cadre officer. Staff count of 600+ is from Wikipedia and Banglapedia cross-reference; the precise sanctioned post count could not be confirmed from available primary sources -- annual_budget_bdt left null for same reason. BSTI has been an ISO member since 1974 (before the formal creation of the institution under its current name), and also belongs to OIML, CAC, IEC, SMIIC, APMP, and AFIT. Organizational structure: seven wings (Certification Marks, Metrology, Physical Testing, Chemical Testing, Standards, Administration, Management System Certification) across 17 departments; field presence via 8 divisional offices, 3 district offices, and 10 regional offices. The 90-day enforcement summary drawn from BSS primary bureau reports covering Chattogram, Khulna, and Rajshahi drives (February-May 2026); all fine amounts verified against BSS district reports. Pre-Ramadan aggregate statistics (July 2025-January 2026): 1,537 mobile courts, 1,470 cases, Tk 3 crore 58 lakh 5 thousand in fines -- source: BSS national desk report at bssnews.net/news/364873. BSTI is distinct from BFSA (food safety regulator under Ministry of Food): BSTI enforces product quality standards and certification marks across all product categories including food, engineering goods, cosmetics, and chemicals, while BFSA focuses exclusively on food safety inspection. The Chattogram Agrabad lab inauguration date (June 28, 2025) confirmed from multiple BSS and Wikipedia sources.

Sources