CAB demands dedicated consumer rights department

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) said the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection is not enough to protect consumers against fraud, corruption and irregularities in the commodities markets.

At a webinar on Monday, the public welfare organisation urged the government to launch a dedicated consumer rights department to protect the rights of consumers.  

CAB leaders at the programme said unscrupulous traders have no regard for the law and consumers are being rocked by anarchy in the market.  

It is becoming impossible to protect the rights of consumers with soaring commodity prices and relentless manipulation of the market by dishonest traders, said leaders of the organisation.

Presenting the keynote article at the seminar, SM Nazer Hossain, vice-president of CAB, said, "The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, and the city corporations, have been conducting drives in markets across the country to curb corruption. Fines are being levied for crimes, and warnings issued, but the malpractice of dishonest traders continues."

The base of these crooked businessmen is so strong that the government administration seems incapable of helping consumers, he said, adding that these businessmen use government bureaucrats, law enforcement agencies, and various media for their own benefit.

The number of people who become wealthy by defrauding consumers is constantly rising, Nazer Hossain said.

These corrupt traders somehow manage to evade punishment while ordinary consumers, who are unorganised and unaware of consumer rights, continue to pay the price, the CAB vice-president added.

The organisation's Senior Vice-President, M Shamsul Alam, said, "We consumers are held hostage, with none of the country's laws and government institutions having succeeded in improving the situation."

He requested consumers to identify at least one incident of corruption in each district so that cases can be lodged under the Consumer Rights Protection Act.

"The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection may not yet have the right to sue corrupt traders, but we can. CAB is the only organisation that has been given the authority to file a criminal case and we will go to court with evidence if necessary," he said.

Shamsul Alam said, "We have been demanding a consumer ministry for a long time, but a separate 'consumer rights department' will do for the time being. That way, the policy arm of the government can take initiative to protect the rights of consumers and the administrative arm of government can enforce that policy."

As of now, there is no place for consumers to go to for justice, except to the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, he said.

Visiting various wholesale markets in the capital, we found the price of all types of rice has increased Tk3-5 compared to last month, and the price of domestic onion has almost doubled, Shamsul Alam said.

Also the price of lentils, ginger, sugar, and edible oil is also on the rise. Even the price of vegetables and chicken has gone up significantly. Eggs cost at least Tk10 more per dozen, he added.