Speakers at a webinar on Saturday urged the government to strengthen monitoring measures against the import of the substandard electronics, electrical home appliances and products like LED bulbs.

“There is some monitoring from the BSTI at the domestic production level. But monitoring against the import of substandard products is very weak. As a result, people are being cheated into buying some substandard foreign products”, said Nurul Aktar, CEO and director of the Energypac, a leading firm in the country’s energy sector, while speaking at the online seminar.

The webinar, organized by Energy and Power magazine, with its editor Mollah Amzad Hossain in the chair, was also addressed by chairman of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) Mohammad Alauddin, additional secretary of the power division of ministry of power, energy and mineral resources ATM Mostafa Kamal, advisor of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Prof M Shamsul Alalm, former Prof of BUET Nurul Islam, chief business officer of Walton Hi-tech Anisur Rahman and programme coordinator of German agency GIZ Al Mudabbir Bin Anam.

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Deputy director of Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) Rahima Talukder made a presentation on the topic: “Energy Efficiency and Product Labelling” in the seminar.

Speakers at the seminar opined that National Board of Revenue (NBR) should have a bigger role to prevent the import of substandard products as many private importers are importing inefficient electric and electronic appliances in CKD (completely knocked down) in bulk dodging the authorities concerned.

“They sell those in the public spot in broad daylight, but there is no action against that business”, said a speaker.

Sreda chairman Mohammad Alauddin said standardization and labelling in energy efficiency is important, specially, in achieving the sustainable energy goals.

Appreciating the BSTI’s move to introduce QR code in energy and electronic products will help implement the government’s programme on energy efficiency.

Prof Shamsul Alam said substandard products are sometimes being imported in connivance with the help of the vested interest groups in government’s policy making level.

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So, awareness should come from the top level of the government to ensure standard and efficiency in the products, he added.

Rahima Talukder said it needs to create awareness among the masses about the standards and energy efficiency to become successful in this regard.