In a system designed to guarantee quality, entrepreneurs across Bangladesh say they are being crushed, not protected. At the heart of the controversy is the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), the national body responsible for certifying product safety, whose annual “certification mark fee” has become a major source of frustration for small, medium and even large businesses. While BSTI’s mandate appears straightforward – issue licences, test products and enforce standards – the reality on the ground tells a different story: one of excessive fees, bureaucratic red tape and financial burdens so severe that many small manufacturers are either shutting down or selling unlicensed goods just to stay afloat. For Jihadul Islam, a food producer who asked to remain anonymous,...