Commerce, Industry, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir has said the government has formed an expert technical committee to examine the presence of microplastic and other harmful chemicals in daily-use products, including toothpaste.
The committee, comprising university teachers, scientists, dental experts, physicians and consumer rights representatives, has collected samples from markets and factories for testing at the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).
The minister said the government is giving special attention to recent claims about toxic microplastic in toothpaste. BSTI is monitoring the issue to prevent public confusion caused by incomplete research findings.
He said Bangladesh currently has no national standard or adequate laboratory facilities for detecting microplastic, but necessary equipment is being procured and new standards are being developed.
The government also plans to restrict harmful materials in daily-use products, make ingredient declarations mandatory and take legal action against manufacturers or importers found violating BSTI standards.
The minister added that 10 food products and eight cosmetic products were recently ordered to be withdrawn from the market for failing to meet BSTI standards.
