The Dhaka city corporations are now joining the ongoing government drive against unscrupulous traders to strengthen monitoring on the markets amid soaring prices of rice.
The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) already launched its drive on Thursday, making its first visits at Badamtali and Nayabazar wholesale markets in the capital.
The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is expected to begin it shortly, one of its high officials told the FE.
"We had a meeting today (Thursday) to discuss the issue and will decide our strategy after the next meeting scheduled to be held on Sunday," said the official, preferring anonymity.
A team of the DSCC led by its executive magistrate Afifa Khan in its maiden drive filed cases against five rice retailers and fined a total of Tk 28,000.
"Our drive will continue for the interest of the consumers and honest traders," said a DSCC official.
Meanwhile, a team of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) also fined four rice traders a total of over Tk 225,000 on the third consecutive day (Thursday) of its drive.
The traders were allegedly selling rice at exorbitant prices at Uttara in the capital and Tongi and Gazipur areas on Thursday.
Assistant Directors of DNCRP Md Abdul Jabbar Mondol and Md Shariful Islam led the drive.
The team during its drive at Uttara BDR market in the capital fined M/S Haji General Store Tk 5,000 as the owner of the shop violated the consumers' protection law.
The other shops that were also fined at Tongi in Gazipur were M/S Molla Chal Arat Tk 50,000, M/S Rupshi Bangla Traders Tk 150,000 and M/S Sadia Rice Agency Tk 20,000.
The rice traders were fined for not keeping money receipts against purchasing rice from the wholesalers, weight manipulation, not hanging price charts on the visible places of the shops and selling rice beyond reasonable rates, according to the DNCRP.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
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