E-commerce firms like Evaly, E-orange to face stern action: DMP

Stern action will be taken against e-commerce firms like Evaly and E-orange, said AKM Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

"There are many organisations which are involved in fraudulence like Evaly and E-orange organisations. They are involved in cheating customers through offering prices lower than the market prices. Investigations are on and action will be taken after investigation," he said while talking at a press briefing at DMP media center on Saturday.

"We want good E-commerce platforms flourish in the country," said Hafiz.

Evaly CEO Mohammad Rassel and his wife Shamima Nasrin were arrested after an aggrieved customer Arif Baker lodged a case with Gulshan police station accusing them and few other company executives for embezzlement and fraudulence.

Sub-inspector Ahidul Islam, the investigation officer of the case, said the case was registered over the allegation of embezzlement of money and fraudulence.

Besides, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), an arm of the Bangladesh Bank that specializes in financial crime investigations, directed all commercial banks and financial institutions through a common letter on August 27 to freeze all the bank accounts operated by top executives of Evaly.

The Directorate of National Consumer Right Protection, a department under the Commerce Ministry, received allegations from consumers about "cheating" by Evaly.

Bangladesh Bank officials said that one of the major allegations against Evaly is forcing its consumers to deposit their money in the e-wallet of the firm which was totally illegal.

On August 16, an aggrieved customer of E-Orange, Md Taherul Islam, filed a fraud case with Gulshan police station in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused.