BSTI fines seven firms Tk14.8 lakh for quality violations

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) fined ACI Godrej Agrovet, Aftab Feed and Jiuzhou Industry Ltd for producing and marketing products without mandatory quality certification and laboratory testing.
The three companies were fined a total of Tk10 lakh during a BSTI mobile court drive in Rupganj, Narayanganj, on Sunday.
In separate mobile court operations in Basila and Hazaribagh in the capital, four more establishments were fined Tk4.8 lakh.
Overall, seven establishments were fined Tk14.8 lakh in three separate drives conducted by the country’s quality control authority.
During the operation in Rupganj, BSTI found that ACI Godrej Agrovet Private Limited had been producing, selling and distributing poultry and fish feed without obtaining mandatory BSTI quality certification and packaging registration certificates.
The company was fined Tk2 lakh under the BSTI Act, 2018, and another Tk2 lakh under the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 2018, bringing the total penalty to Tk4 lakh.
Aftab Feed Products Limited was also fined Tk4 lakh, Tk2 lakh under each law, for producing and marketing poultry and fish feed without the required certification.
Jiuzhou Industry Ltd, located in the Tarabo area of Rupganj, was fined Tk2 lakh for manufacturing, selling and distributing lead-acid starter batteries without mandatory quality certification and packaging registration. 
The company was fined Tk1 lakh under the BSTI Act and Tk1 lakh under the Standards of Weights and Measures Act.
In Basila, Aman Consumer and Toiletries and Standard Consumer and Toiletries were fined a combined Tk3.5 lakh for producing and marketing hand wash and liquid toilet cleaner products using brand names similar to well-known products, including Lysol, Harpic and Vim.
In Hazaribagh, Mithai was fined Tk1 lakh for selling sweets, biscuits and lachcha semai without BSTI certification.
Another establishment, Apurba Ananda Jal Khabar, was fined Tk30,000 for producing and marketing sweets and yoghurt without obtaining the mandatory quality certification.
The Narayanganj mobile court was led by BSTI Executive Magistrate Sabekun Nahar, while BSTI Executive Magistrate Lutfunnessa Khanam conducted the Basila drive. 
The Hazaribagh operation was led by BSTI Executive Magistrate Md Mahbubul Islam.
BSTI Deputy Director KM Hanif, Assistant Director (Metrology) Md Rakibul Alam, field officers Md Rashed Al Mamun, Borhan Uddin and Sumaiya Afroz Liza, along with other BSTI officials, were present during the drives.