The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) is the national regulatory authority of Bangladesh responsible for standardization, quality control, testing, and certification of commodities, packaged goods, and finished products manufactured locally or imported into Bangladesh.
Products regulated by BSTI are categorized into the following sectors:
- Agricultural Products
- Food Products
- Chemical Products
- Jute and Textile Products
- Engineering Products
- Electronics and Electrical Products
As of 24 May 2026, BSTI has declared 328 products as mandatory for obtaining a Certification Mark (CM) License under the applicable Bangladesh Standards (BDS). The BDS are official standard specifications published by BSTI in the form of printed booklets or PDF documents for specific commodities and products. BSTI periodically updates and expands the mandatory product list through official Government Gazettes published in Bangladesh.
For manufacturers and importers, the first step is to determine whether the product of interest falls under the mandatory certification list of BSTI. Once identified, the relevant BDS number for the specific product must be obtained, and the applicable BDS standard must be collected from BSTI. The BDS specifies the permissible limits, technical requirements, ingredient compositions, labeling conditions, and product claims. The product formulation and specifications must fully comply with the relevant BDS requirements.
In addition, the Packaging and Labeling of the product must comply with the applicable Packaging Commodity Rules (PCR) enforced by BSTI. Therefore, obtaining a Regulatory Intelligence Report on BSTI Packaging Commodity Rules is strongly recommended prior to importing products into Bangladesh.
For Local Manufacturers
BSTI issues Certification Mark (CM) Licenses only to manufacturers and not to importers of finished products. The CM License is product-specific and confirms that the locally manufactured product complies with the applicable BDS requirements.
For Importers
If imported products fall under the mandatory jurisdiction of BSTI, the importer must submit an application to BSTI on the company’s official letterhead along with the prescribed documents and applicable government fees once the shipment arrives in the port/Bangladesh customs.
Upon arrival of the shipment at the Bangladesh customs authority or port, BSTI collects random product samples for laboratory testing. The samples are tested in BSTI laboratories to verify compliance with the relevant BDS standard. If the product successfully complies with the applicable BDS requirements, BSTI issues a Clearance Certificate permitting the product to be released for distribution in the Bangladesh market.
We, BSTI Solution, can help you out with our authentic and reliable RI Report.