Bangladesh's one-stop service point for halal certification

Published 19 Oct,2021 via The Financial Express–In September 2021, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) added the provision of halal certification to the BSTI Regulations, 1989. This will allow BSTI to issue halal certificates for processed products, and in particular, processed food. The initial certificates will cover three years after which renewal will become necessary. Already more than 20 food exporters from Bangladesh have applied for BSTI's halal certificates.

Arrival of a new halal certificate issuing authority is expected to give the much-needed boost to the exportable halal items (mainly halal food) from Bangladesh. The major issue that hindered Bangladesh from tapping into the global halal market concerned certificates. There was a lack of a dedicted authority issuing halal certificates for exports; Islamic Foundation remained the sole issuer before BSTI entered the scene. With a new issuer, surely the task and responsibilities could now be shared.

As per the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2020/21, the size of halal food market had reached $1.17 trillion in 2019. It is expected to grow at 3.5 per cent per year to 1.38 trillion by 2024. With the increase in the global Muslim population, which is expected to grow twice as fast as the global population and reach 3.0 billion by 2060, the halal food market is also expected to grow further. Halal food is also gaining popularity among the non-Muslim community owing to its strict hygiene and lower contamination levels.