Exportable products are no longer required international certification as the local accreditation is recognised globally, a minister said. “Local businesses now can take globally-accepted standardised calibration certificates for their products from the local accreditation authority. They don’t need to seek international certification,” Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu said. In the past, local exporters used to rely on foreign countries for such costly certification to export their products as the local calibration certificates weren’t recognised internationally. The minister said Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) will now issue the calibration certificate after securing accreditation recently from the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (APLAC) to do so. The minister was speaking at a function organised to celebrate the global recognition of the BAB at the ministry on Wednesday. APLAC is a cooperation of accreditation bodies in the Asia Pacific region that accredits laboratories, inspection bodies and reference material producers. It is recognised by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as one of five Specialist Regional Bodies (SRBs). Mr Amu termed the APLAC’s recognition a ‘big’ achievement of the incumbent government. He said it will help strengthen Bangladesh’s position further in global trade. “… hence, Bangladesh’s position in the international business has become stronger. It will also help our local entrepreneurs save money and valuable time, as they won’t need such certification from abroad,” the minister said. Industries secretary Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, BAB’s director general Md. Abu Abdullah, among others, spoke at the function. The minister said such global recognition will not only eliminate the existing technical barriers to trade (TBT) for Bangladeshi products, but also help local consumers get products with accurate weight. “Now, existing unequal and asymmetrical measurement of products will be no longer in the market, from the industry to the consumer level, as the BAB’s calibration laboratory has got the authority,” Mr Amu said. He called upon the BAB officials to work hard for keeping up its reputation globally so that international traders will come to Bangladesh to get certification of their products. “If you can maintain a globally-recognised standard certification, then foreign traders will come to the country to get approval for their exportable goods,” he said. He urged the BAB authorities to issue such certificate carefully, so that the country’s image is not damaged in the international arena. “Bangladesh has many competitors in international trade. These competing countries are not sitting idle. They’re trying to establish their own national standards infrastructure alongside improving quality of their own products,” he said. Citing the example of ready-made garment, Mr Amu said the competing countries continue to hatch conspiracy against Bangladesh’s apparel products.
