International Cooperation of BAB
Since 2007 BAB has been an Associate Member of the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC). In 2010, BAB obtained Affiliate Membership of International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). Recently BAB obtained Associate Membership of Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) on 16 June in 2011 at the 18th plenary meeting of PAC, held in Manila, the Philippines. BAB promotes the recognition and acceptance of certificates issued by the organizations accredited by BAB to other accreditation bodies that have signed the MRA arrangement.
BAB will soon seek the membership of International Accreditation Forum (IAF). Accreditation bodies which are members of IAF are required to operate at the highest standard and require the bodies they accredit to comply with appropriate international standards. Certificates issued by bodies accredited by members of the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) are relied upon all over the world because the MLA assures customers that the certificate is credible.
Training and Seminar organized and participated
With the aim to develop skilled manpower and raising awareness among the stakeholders in the area of conformity assessment, BAB arranges training, seminars, and symposiums. On last February, 2011 with the cooperation of Standards Malaysia, BAB arranged a three days training program on ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and ISO/IEC 17011:2004, where the Lead Assessor Mr Wan Rukiman from STANDARDS MALAYSIA was the resource person. 25 participants including lab professionals, university teachers and BAB officers took part in this training program. BAB arranged a seminar on “Accreditation and National Measurement Standard: Essential Element in any National Quality Infrastructure”. Dr Franz Hengstberger, international Expert of UNIDO was the keynote presenter, fifty national experts were present at the seminar.
Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) has organized a Lead Assessor Course on ISO/IEC 17025:2005 which was conducted by Qualified Lead Assessors from SIRIM Berhad, Malaysia. 17 participants from different testing and calibration laboratories in Bangladesh including 8 (eight) BAB officers participated in the course. The course was held over forty hours. All of the participants have successfully passed the course, based on a three hour written examination, assignment, quiz, group activity and class performance.
BAB utilizes each opportunity at home and abroad to build a competent workforce. Six BAB officers participated in the Workshop on Laboratory Accreditation & Aspects of Quality System which was conducted by UNIDO-VIMTA, South-South training facility for testing and calibration laboratories at VIMTA laboratory in Hyderabad, India. In addition, BAB officers also participated as observers in different Pre-assessment, Final Assessment and Surveillance Assessment with different accreditation bodies such as Norwegian Accreditation (NA), National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), INDIA and National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), India at Bangladesh Standard &Testing Institute, Textile Laboratories and Tokai Electrical Meter Industry in Bangladesh. Recently four (4) BAB officers participated in an attachment assessor training program at Standards Malaysia.
World Accreditation Day Observed
Bangladesh Accreditation Board celebrated the World Accreditation Day on 9 June 2011. A seminar was held to mark the occasion on 8 June 2011. Industries Minister, Mr Dilip Barua graced the occasion as chief guest. He stressed the importance of Accreditation in the national economy. He also urges BAB to take the necessary initiatives in creating awareness of Accreditation and ensured all stakeholders of providing the necessary support from government. Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) President A K Azad assured cooperation from the trade bodies to the government in this regard. Besides BAB Chairman, BAB Director General, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Mr Asif Ibrahim also spoke on the occasion. BAB has published a souvenir marking the day, where The President of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh and Prime Minister of Government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh gave their speeches highlighting the importance of accreditation. BAB also published several promotional materials like colorful poster, booklet, bag, pad, pen etc. to mark the occasion.
BAB feels that people’s attachment is necessary to fulfill its goal. In this respect BAB published a good number of Accreditation related articles to several national daily newspapers. Besides, BAB regularly communicates with its important stakeholders like Association of Certification Bodies, Association of Laboratories, and different trade bodies etc.
BAB has taken initiatives to automate its own operations. The Application process is now online and the rest of the operations are in the process of being automated. BAB has made its website more user friendly and enriched with information. Its office area now had Wi-fi coverage. Thus the activities of BAB have been widened in a meaningful way.
Director General of BAB signing Memorandum of Understanding for PAC Associate membership of BAB in Manila