Bangladesh Standards Institution (BDSI) was established in 1971 after the liberation war as a National Standards body of the country. In 1974, the institution so formed became member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).[2] The present institution comes into being through an Ordinance (Ordinance XXXVII of 1985) with the merger of Bangladesh Standards Institution (BDSI) and the Central Testing Laboratories (CTL) in 1985.[2][3] In 1995 Department of Agricultural Grading and Marking was merged with BSTI. The BSTI ordinance of 1985 was converted into an act in 2018.
The responsibility of promulgating these standards lies with the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), while the task of technical drafting and declaration is carried out by the BCC. The organization has already developed several standards and simultaneously modernized the existing ones. Bangladesh Standards are:[4]
Bangladesh Standard Specification for Bangla Coded Character Set for Information Interchange (Third Revision) (BDS 1520:2018): It defines the character encoding scheme for the Bangla script, facilitating information exchange and compatibility across various computer systems and applications in Bangladesh. This specification ensures seamless communication and data sharing, promotes the development of localized software and content in the Bengali language, and ultimately enhances accessibility and inclusivity for the Bengali-speaking population in the digital realm.[4]
Bangladesh Standard Specification for Computer Bangla Keyboard (First Revision) (BDS 1738:2018): This standard outlines the standardized requirements for keyboards specifically designed to input the Bengali script into computer systems. Introduced in 2018, this standard ensures uniformity and compatibility among computer Bengali keyboards, facilitating efficient and accurate typing of Bengali characters. BDS 1738 defines the layout, key arrangement, and functional characteristics of the keyboard, ensuring it meets the needs and preferences of Bangla language users in Bangladesh.[4]
Bangladesh Standard Codes for Information Interchange (BDS 1934:2018): To ensure compatibility and consistency in data exchange across various computer systems and applications within the country, there is a need for a national standard for ASCII-based Bengali character and symbol coding. The Bangladesh Computer Council has addressed this need by drafting the Bangladesh Standard Code for Information Interchange (BSCII). This code was created by reviewing popular Bengali language software based on ASCII in Bangladesh, and it includes a total of 210 Bengali letters, symbols, and compound letters. Its purpose is to define the character encoding system used for the interchange of information.[4][5][6]
Due to lack of coherence and synergy between vendors and technologists, these standards were largely never widely accepted nor recognized by international bodies. Later, versions of standards such as BSCII in essence rubber stamped Unicode encoding scheme.[7]
An official order to mandatorily install a keyboard layout package kit in 2018 spawned furor over multiple fronts.[8]
About
Package registration mark from BSTI
BSTI formulates and issues Bangladesh Standards (BDS) for products and services inside the country. The products and services which maintain Bangladesh Standards are certified by the institution, and a Certification Mark (CM) licence is issued for a validity of three years after factory inspection and standardized testing of the products in its laboratories. Only the licensed manufacturers can use the BSTI certification mark in their product package. The institution has formulated over 4000 standards since its inception. 273 products require mandatory CM licence to be produced, distributed and sold inside Bangladesh. According to Bangladesh's import policy, 79 products require mandatory clearance from BSTI to be imported into the country.
Metrology Division of the institution issues licences for package commodities to the manufacturers under Package Commodity Registration Rules 2021. It also calibrates and verifies the weighing and measuring devices used in the markets and ensures that they maintain the International System of Units.
BSTI runs monitoring activities through surveillance, mobile courts, random sampling and testing from markets and factories.
The institution provides laboratory testing facilities to organisations, government offices and individuals. It also provides metrology and instrument calibration services to local industries, markets, petrol pumps, oil tankers etc.
Governing Body
BSTI is an autonomous agency of the Government of Bangladesh. It operates its activities under the Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institution Act - 2018. A counsel of 37 members is the decision making body of the institution. Minister for the Ministry of Industries is the Chairperson of the counsel.
