Consumer rights protection directorate to fix prices of rechargeable electrical devices

The Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP) will fix the prices of all rechargeable electrical devices in consultation with the traders to prevent the hike in the prices of such equipment due to load shedding.

The directorate will also continue drives against those who are hiking prices through syndication, said DNCRP Director General AHM Shafiquzzaman in an emergency exchange meeting with businessmen at the TCB Bhaban in Karwan Bazar in the capital on Monday.

After the prime minister announced scheduled load shedding last Monday, unscrupulous traders hiked the prices of rechargeable fans, lights and other devices.

Addressing the businessmen at the meeting, AHM Shafiquzzaman said, "Within three hours of the prime minister's announcement on load shedding, the price of rechargeable fans jumped by Tk500 taka, and the price of rechargeable lights increased by Tk300.

"My question to the traders is that did they import the products from China as soon as the prime minister announced load shedding? Did your letter-of-credit jump within three hours?" 

He said during conducting drives they found that all the shops in Nawabpur, old Dhaka increased the price of rechargeable devices.

"We have seen rechargeable fans priced at Tk2,000 in the morning being sold at Tk2,500 in the afternoon, and at Tk3,500 at night. This means the traders increased the price by hours," said AHM Shafiquzzaman.

He also said, "Tomorrow morning we will sit with the importers of rechargeable electrical products in Nawabpur and determine the prices after looking at their cost of imports. We want the traders to control the prices. Otherwise, we will conduct tougher drives."

Chairman of Bangladesh Electrical Association Khandaker Ruhul Ameen said, "The prime minister's announcement of load shedding has increased the demand for rechargeable products. We have heard that some unscrupulous traders have sharply raised the prices on this occasion, which we do not approve." 

He also said, "We have already announced to all the traders of electronic products in Nawabpur to keep the prices at a tolerable level. We will cancel the memberships of the rechargeable device traders who charge excessive prices to ensure that they cannot import these products in future."

"Still, we want the DNCRP to fix the prices by consulting with the traders," he added. 

Rafiqul Islam, Walton's executive director (head of legal) said, "We do not have a scope of charging more than the price mentioned on our products' packaging. We have already notified our dealers, sub-dealers and retailers in this regard."