SARSO concludes 11th Governing Board meeting in Dhaka
Dhaka, June 4
The 11th Governing Board meeting of the South Asian Regional Standards Organisation successfully concluded today at the BSTI Headquarters in Dhaka, BSTI said in a statement on Thursday.
The two-day meeting (June 3-4) was chaired by Kazi Emdadul Hoque, SARSO Chairperson and Director General (Secretary) of BSTI. Delegates from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives participated both in person and virtually.
The board reviewed SARSO's 2025 performance, approved the Technical Management Board report, and finalised the 2026 action plan. Key decisions were also made regarding global partnerships (MoUs) and the formation of new Sectoral Technical Committees.
In his closing remarks, Chairperson Kazi Emdadul Hoque urged member states to work collectively to remove technical barriers to trade and harmonise quality standards across South Asia.
Earlier on November 26-27, 2024, the 10th Meeting of the Governing Board of SARSO member States was held in Dhaka, an official statement by SAARC said.
Shahzad Afzal, Director General, South Asian Regional Standards Organisation, in his remarks, conveyed his sincere gratitude to all the participants who participated physically and via Virtual Mode. Afzal mentioned that SARSO has been established to achieve and enhance coordination and cooperation among SAARC member countries in the fields of standardisation and conformity assessment with the aim of developing harmonised standards for the region in order to facilitate intraregional trade.
As per SAARC practice, the Meeting was opened by Jamal Uddin Ahmed, Director, SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu as the representative of the Secretary General of SAARC. He wished the proceedings all the success. Jamal briefed the Meeting about the existing status and activities of the South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO).
Pramod Kumar Tiwari, Director General, Bureau of Indian Standards, welcomed the delegates for the 10th Governing Board Meeting and expressed warm greetings to all. He pointed out that circulation of the agenda, including documents, should be done to member countries of the Governing Board before two months of the meeting so that members can get them prepared for the meeting, the statement said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see the Director General of BIS actively involved. But I wish we'd see more concrete results rather than just meetings and action plans. Indian businesses have been waiting for years to get easier market access to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Talk is cheap, action matters.
Finally some positive news from SAARC! We keep hearing about political disputes but technical cooperation like this benefits ordinary people. Imagine Indian mangoes reaching Dhaka and Karachi with fewer hassles - that's the real goal. 👏
Pramod Tiwari ji's suggestion about sending agenda documents two months in advance is so practical. Half the meetings get delayed because people don't get papers on time. At least someone from India is pointing out basic process improvements. Small steps lead to big changes!
I'm skeptical about how much this will actually achieve given the political climate. But as an Indian exporting textile products, I can tell you - if standards are harmonised it would save us crores in testing and certification costs. Let's hope SARSO delivers for once 🙏
These meetings are good but I feel SAARC has become a talking shop. Look at ASEAN - they have real trade integration. We in South Asia still struggle with basic border trade. Still, kudos to the Indian delegation for pushing for better preparation. At least someone is professional 😊
S < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.