Market monitoring drive fails to yield any tangible result

The market monitoring drive against the unscrupulous traders in the capital by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) is yet to yield any satisfactory result, consumers have alleged.

Only 19 teams of the DNCRP are monitoring markets across the country!

But the DNCRP authorities said they have been conducting market monitoring drive even on Friday during the ongoing month of Ramadan to protect consumers' rights.  

"We have intensified our market monitoring drive since we are working even on Friday during Ramadan," Director General (DG) of the DNCRP Md Abul Hossain Mian told the FE Saturday.   

He said the DNCRP fined eight shops and restaurants in the capital on the day and realised Tk 1,13,000 fines from the unscrupulous traders for keeping unhygienic foodstuffs (iftar items).

The shops and restaurants fined are New Café de Taz Hotel and Restaurant and Al Madina Hotel at Khilgaon, B Baria Bakery at Jatrabari, Khalil Mangsho Bitan at Shahjahanpur, Jannat Restaurant, Nazir Store and Madina Confectionary at Lalbagh.

"We engaged 4 teams in the capital for market monitoring. Outside the capital, the number is 15 to monitor the markets," he said.

He said the DNCRP team has been monitoring markets twice a day - morning and before iftar.

"We have realised Tk 1.5 million from the unscrupulous traders in 300 shops since the beginning of Ramadan to till date for selling adulterated iftar items," he said. He said they had realised Tk 2.5 million last month.    

"Our drive will continue until upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr," Mr Mian said.

He said four mobile teams of the DNCRP have been conducting the drive in association with representatives from the district administration, the police, the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and other relevant government agencies during Ramadan.

He said the mobile teams also distributed pamphlets among people to raise awareness about consumer rights.

The DNCRP was formed under the National Consumers Rights Protection Act 2009. It conducts regular drives at different shops and markets across the country to stop unscrupulous traders from making windfall profit by depriving the consumers through food adulteration and weight manipulation.

Since its functioning in 2010, the DNCRP has realised over Tk 80 million as fines from dishonest traders for selling adulterated food and weight manipulation with the consumers.