Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection: 90 officers to handle a million complaints
Bangladesh’s consumer rights body, despite good work, is struggling to keep up
Mohammad Nuruddin was excited when he brought home a brand-new two-door refrigerator from a well-known company. But his excitement quickly turned into frustration when, just a few days later, he noticed condensation forming around the left-side door handle.
He reported the issue, and the company sent technicians multiple times to fix it. They tried different solutions, but the sweating wouldn't stop. A month passed, and nothing changed.
Growing impatient, Nuruddin took the issue up with the company through email. But after two months of back-and-forth communication, he was still stuck with the same problem.
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Left with no other choice, he turned to the Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection—the country's consumer rights authority—for help.
"After I filed a complaint, they contacted me within 15 to 20 days. The company representative missed the first scheduled date, but eventually, they showed up, apologised, and promised to replace my refrigerator within 15 days," Nuruddin shared.
However, when the company failed to deliver the replacement even after 20 days, Nuruddin reached out to the consumer rights body again. This time, an official reprimanded the company, prompting them to take action. Soon after, they replaced his refrigerator with a brand-new one.
"I am really happy with the way the consumer rights body helped me," Nuruddin said.
"Of course, we're short on manpower—it's obvious," she said. "If we get 500 complaints, I have to manage anywhere from 50 to 300 cases a day, with the average being around 150."
However, he mentioned that an official there mentioned to him at some point how understaffed they were as they receive hundreds of cases daily but lack enough officers to handle them efficiently.
The Business Standard recently visited the consumer rights office in Kawran Bazar on a day during Ramadan. The office was quiet, as most officers were out in the field. During Ramadan, it is common for businesses in Bangladesh to hike prices for extra profit, leading to consumer rights violations. As a result, the officers spend long hours conducting field inspections.
There were a couple of people waiting outside for a hearing.
But only two officers were on the floor, one of them was dealing with the complaints and the other investigating them.
When asked about their workload and whether they had enough manpower to manage the cases, both shared their concerns.
"Of course, we are understaffed. In Dhaka, there are only 19 officers apart from the Director General. Today, 13 of them are out in the field, and I am here handling hearings alone as complaints keep coming in. There is a serious shortage," said Masum Arefin, deputy director of the Complaint Subdivision.
Masum explained that each officer handles 400 to 500 cases daily.
"This is tough to handle," he admitted. "And that's not even the whole story. There are constant challenges—rising onion and grocery prices, dealing with companies, issuing notices, and a long list of other tasks."
"Only 90 officers are responsible for 18 crore people," he quipped.
The consumer rights body is well-regarded and has become increasingly popular among people for protecting their rights.
While waiting for the lift at the office, we observed two individuals—one a customer and the other a trader. The customer, looking pleased, said to the trader, "Please don't be angry with me. It's you who violated my rights, and the consumer body just resolved the issue by penalising you."
The trader didn't seem happy but reluctantly agreed.
Such interactions with satisfied consumers are common at the office.
However, an official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the workload is overwhelming. The consumer rights body had requested over 300 officers, but only 12 were provided.
Meanwhile, Director General Mohammed Alim Akhter Khan explained that the shortage of officers is due to some staff members having moved elsewhere, a matter they have communicated to the government. However, he added, "We are performing our regular duties properly, and I believe the manpower we have is sufficient."
At the investigation division of the consumer rights body, Deputy Director Shahnaz Sultana is handling things on her own.
"Of course, we're short on manpower—it's obvious," she said. "If we get 500 complaints, I have to manage anywhere from 50 to 300 cases a day, with the average being around 150."
She sighed and added, "In my department, there's no one else. I'm working alone and relying on help from other departments. But a Deputy Director needs support, right? It's the same for many others here."
Shahnaz explained that complaints come in through letters, emails, and other channels. Some are incomplete—missing addresses or other key details—so they have to sort through them first. Then comes the process of charging fines, depositing them in banks, keeping records, sending letters, and issuing notices.
Resolving a complaint isn't a one-day job. In critical cases, hearings can stretch up to three days before reaching a decision.
"Suppose I receive a complaint today, we have to send a letter by post and give at least one week for a response. When the parties come in, if they agree to the terms and one party agrees to pay the fine, the case can be resolved in a day. But sometimes it takes up to three hearings, which can stretch the process to 20 days," she explained. "Each complaint involves a lot of work."
Nuruddin shared that whenever he talks about his refrigerator ordeal, people are surprised that he actually managed to get it replaced.
"Whenever there's a problem, just go to the consumer rights body. They're approachable and willing to help," he said. "From my experience, if you reach out to them, you'll get the assistance you need."
