Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect in Dhaka on Wednesday.



The MoU came on the second day of the third round of trade secretary level talks between the two nations.



A consensus was reached on Bangladesh providing 100 items of duty-free goods and Nepal reciprocating with 50.



Briefing the media at a joint press conference after the meeting, Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon said, “While exporting goods from one country to another, the quality benchmark in the other country have to be kept in mind. Problems were being faced in the absence of this treaty. Those problems have now been eliminated.”



He added the MoU would obviate the need for Nepal to re-certify BSTI-certified goods and BSTI to re-certify goods certified by NBSM for quality compatibility.



Briefing the joint press meet Nepal’s Trade Secretary Naindra Prasad Upadhaya said, “Relations between the two nations have scaled new heights through the meeting. It will make our bilateral relationship more dynamic.”



He thanked Bangladesh for extending “meaningful” help to Nepal after a devastating earthquake in April last year.



A wide range of issues that included ways to bolster the transit cargo movement between the two nations, duty-free import of goods, and the scope of Bangladesh’s investment in hydro-electric projects in Nepal figured in the talks.



According to the commerce ministry, Bangladesh’s exports to Nepal amounted to $25.05 million and imported to $11.50 million during the 2014-15 fiscal year.