Poor standard of products

Surveys conducted by Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), the only government institution responsible for checking and approving the quality of products before they go out in market for sale, and Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), a civil rights group, revealed that we have become hostage to the manipulation and criminal activities of a group of unscrupulous businessmen. We are simply disgusted to learn that almost all the basic items that we buy and consume in good faith are not only way below the standard level, some manufacturers do not even follow the proper procedure to ensure the standard, thus making them extremely harmful to our health. And then there is the age old tendency to cheat the consumers at any given opportunity.

This has to come to a stop. Not all of us can afford to turn to foreign products instead. We know that BSTI does not have enough manpower or strict enough law to nab and punish those who are flouting the laws. We are also waiting for the Consumers Rights Act, prepared jointly by CAB and the commerce ministry, to be approved. We also remember an announcement by the former commerce minister on setting up a watchdog called 'Consumer Council'. We wonder what happened to that idea? Following the observance of World Standard Day, we would expect realistic actions from the government to make us feel safe and healthy, not just run of the mill statements.

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