Consumers Rights Protection Act to be made time befitting: Tofail

FE Report | Published: March 16, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said Saturday the government will amend the existing Consumers Rights Protection Act, 2009 to make it time befitting.
With this end in view the government has formed a six-member committee with the responsibility for bringing necessary amendments to the Act, he said.
"We have taken initiative to make the consumers rights protection Act time befitting. We would be able to complete the new law for protecting the consumers' interests," he added.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar marking the World Consumer Rights Day 2014 at CIRDAP (Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific) auditorium in the city.
The Directorate of National Consumers Rights Protection (DNCRP) and the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) jointly organised the programme.
The commerce minister said the government would set up the National Consumers Centre where the consumers would be able to lodge their complaints against unscrupulous traders.
He said there are no differences among the political parties over attaining economic development of the country.
He suggested creating awareness among the consumers about their rights. It will also help the government to intensify the ongoing action against deceitful traders in the country.
The World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) was observed in the country as elsewhere in the world with a call for creating awareness among the consumers about their rights and intensifying campaign against dishonest traders.
Though the day is observed every year, the consumers in the country are not yet fully aware of their rights, according to the consumers' rights body.
Most of the consumers in the country are being cheated by the unscrupulous traders despite the existing law to protect their interests.
The consumers said they are not aware about where to lodge their complaints on their rights. They said though they know that there is a law, many of them are reluctant to lodge complaints against the corrupt traders as it takes time for the disposal of the complaints.
Rallies and seminars were held at the district and upazila levels. A children's art competition was held at Shilpakala Academy in the capital on the day.
The aim of the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009 is to protect the consumers' rights as well as restrict unscrupulous traders from unethical acts such as resorting to abnormal price hike, weight manipulation and mixing formalin/chemicals with food stuffs.
The DNCRP has started monitoring drives at different markets across the country since April 6, 2010. So far it has realised Tk 75 million as fines from the unscrupulous traders.
Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed, Directorate General of DNCRP Md Abul Hossain Mian, Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Sunil Kanti Bose and President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, among others, were present.