President Mohammed Shahabuddin has said that there is no alternative to producing quality products and services to survive in the era of globalization.
He said this in a message issued on Friday (October 13, 2023) on the eve of the World Standards Day-2023 which will be observed today (October 14).
The World Standards Day is observed each year all over the world on October 14 by the members of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to pay tribute to the collaborative efforts of thousands of experts worldwide, who develop voluntary technical agreements that are published as International or National Standards.
Each year, ISO, IEC and ITU determine a theme of the World Standards Day based on a seminal issue relevant to standardisation. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Shared Vision for a Better World – Standards for Sustainable Development Goals”.
The day will be observed in Bangladesh as elsewhere across the globe amid various programmes.
BSS adds: On the eve of the day, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages.
In his message, President Mohammed Shahabuddin said, “I am glad to know that the 54th 'World Standards Day' is being celebrated in Bangladesh like other countries around the world under the initiative of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI)."
The head of the state said there is no alternative to producing quality products and services to survive in the era of globalization.
Noting that 'Quality' acts as a symbol of trust in the marketing of any product or service, he said it is essential to follow international standards in all areas, including product production, marketing and service delivery.
Therefore, the President believed that the domestic industrialists and importers-exporters will be more focused on providing the desired services to the people through the production, sale and distribution of quality products.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said that the dream of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was to build a 'Sonar Bangla' free from economic emancipation and poverty.
The Awami League led-government is working tirelessly to improve the fate of the people of the country by realizing the dream of the father of the nation, the premier said.
Under the leadership and efforts of Bangabandhu, BSTI gained the membership of ISO in 1974 and Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in 1975, she added.
Later, BSTI got four more membership of the international and regional organizations including International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and Asia Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP) and South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO), she mentioned.
The Awami League-led government is determined to provide quality food and products to the people, she said, adding that in the era of free market economy, there is no alternative to producing international quality products.
"We are working according to the action plan to transform Bangladesh into a sustainable industrialized country by 2041 through environment-friendly and export-oriented industrialization by increasing productivity in the industrial sector," she said.
Sheikh Hasina hoped that BSTI will play an effective role as a National Standards Body at all levels for implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Both the president and the premier wished the overall success of all the programmes taken on the occasion of 'World Standards Day-2023'.
Marking the day, BSTI has taken comprehensive programmes, including discussions at its head office, regional offices, and special programmes at Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Radio.
