Even commerce minister not immune to e-commerce fraud
The e-commerce company was launched right before Eid-ul-Adha, he said
Minister of Commerce Tipu Munshi on Sunday revealed that he failed to get the sacrificial cow he had ordered on an e-commerce site during Eid-ul-Azha in 2020.
The e-commerce company was launched right before Eid-ul-Azha, he said, adding, "I gave them Tk1 lakh after purchasing a cow but they delivered a different one and not the one I initially ordered."
Saying that different types of mistakes happen when something is newly launched in the country, the minister further said, "I myself was a victim of such error."
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The minister shared this while attending a workshop organised by the Bangladesh Competition Commission and the Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF) in the capital.
Speaking about the multilevel marketing (MLM) companies – Destiny and Jubok – the minister said those were shut for embezzlement but had amassed a huge amount of assets before being shut.
After selling the assets at the right prices, around 50% to 60% of consumers of these MLM companies can get their refunds, the minister stated, adding, "I have discussed the matter with the law minister and he said that the court will decide on these."
Meanwhile, Mofizul Islam, chairperson of Bangladesh Competition Commission, said that a regulatory authority will be formulated to monitor and control e-commerce businesses and also provide registration to the e-commerce platforms.
"A huge number of people in the country benefited from the e-commerce platforms during the pandemic so, it would not be wise to shut down all the platforms just for the fraudulence of some companies," he added.
Other participants from the commission and ERF also spoke during the event.
