QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CERTIFICATION
What is Certification Mark?The certification mark is a mark attested that the product or service is in conformity with the specific standard. When once this attestation is done by a third party, who is not directly concerned with the sale or purchase of goods, the buyer procures the goods bearing the certification mark, with some degree of confidence. The existence of the standard mark on products, certified under this scheme, enables the consumers to distinguish a quality product from an untested/substandard product in the market.
Legal basis:Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) operates the certification marks scheme, under which the manufacturers /importers are licensed to use the standard mark on goods produced / imported by them in conformity to the relevant Bangladesh Standard (BDS). This scheme is governed by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Ordinance 1985 and the regulations made there under. The scheme covers Industrial products and agricultural produce and excludes drugs and pharmaceuticals (covered under drug Administration). To provide quick service to the applicants and licensees, BSTI operates through 5 regional branch offices, other than head office to take care of certification marks function.
Technical features: The Certification Marks scheme of BSTI incorporates following technical features
(a) Initial type testing of products drawn at random from production line, in BSTI Laboratory or any other laboratory approved by BSTI, for conformity to requirements of relevant Bangladesh standard (BDS).
(b) Quality audit of samples of certified products, drawn from licensee's factory though testing in BSTI laboratory or any other laboratory approved by BSTI periodically.
(c) Quality audit of samples of certified products, drawn from the open market, through testing in BSTI laboratory or any other laboratory approved by BSTI.
Operational aspects: The certification marks scheme is voluntary for a majority of the products covered by existing Bangladesh Standards. But when the question of ensuring human health and safety comes in, the need for quality certification assumes great importance. This explains the coming into operation of certification scheme for some items on a compulsory basis. However Bangladesh Government, on considerations of health and safety to consumers or for items of mass consumption has brought so far 154 items under the Mandatory certification marks scheme by issuing SROs time to time under the provisions laid down in clause 24 of the BSTI Ordinance 1985. The up gradation of product certification system in accordance with the international standard ISO/IEC Guide 65 (General requirements for bodies operating product certification systems) is going on. Required documents have been prepared which are in line with ISO/IEC Guide 65. Initially BSTI has taken initiative to implement the international system on all voluntary products and some selected mandatory products. With a view to implementing the international system, product Certification System is separated into two section which are:
Mandatory Product Certification Section (MPCS) Voluntary Product Certification Section (VPCS) 