Drive against spurious products is badly needed
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Mohammad Hossain
CONSUMERS in Bangladesh have been oppressed by the activities of producers of adulterated and sub-standard goods and fake products of reputed companies. But such oppression had some limits in the past. But in recent times, the carefree activities of the doers of these crimes seem to suggest as if there is none to watch over them ; thus, consumers' gross insecurity and exploitation at the hands of these people are seen to be all pervasive.
Some years ago, a sustained crackdown against these offences, were noted. It had the effect of forcing the offenders to curtail their activities. Public awareness about the risky products was also sharpened and the consumers were found taking some measures on their own to shun such harmful goods. But this drive was called off. The immediate past caretaker government did not put emphasis in this area although these activities involving people's health and their lives in so many cases, deserved to be addressed in a tough and uncompromising manner. Sensing an withdrawal of law enforcement action, the offending producers in different sectors are noted to have become even more bold and daring.
For example, it is reported that one person who was arrested during a mobile court drive three years ago for selling adulterated ghee using the brand name of a well known company and suffered a jail term for about a year and a half, is engaged with greater enthusiasm in his criminal activities after his release. He now has three factories when earlier he had one, to produce and market his fake ghee. The above example only underlines the great necessity of starting immediately and maintaining a drive against such unreformed criminals and all others who are acting with impunity. The government is about to adopt a new legislation to protect consumers' interests. But that legislation will prove to be hardly effective without being backed up by strong law enforcement actions in the form of the mobile courts of the past.
The extent of the threat is almost mind boggling. But first in the list should be food and medicines. Even spurious life saving saline fluids are being marketed. Frequent deaths are reported from reactions caused by such spurious saline and antibiotic medicines. The very serious adulteration of all kinds of food products is well known. Even fuel oils used by motor vehicles are adulterated on a large scale. From electrical bulbs to shampoos and various electrical products, there are thousands of products of a wide range which are being produced in underground factories and also getting successfully marketed faking the brand name of well known companies. Not only consumers are not getting their money's worth from consuming the same, they are dangerously exposing their health to serious diseases from using these products specially the food and food-related ones. There are areas in and around old Dhaka which have concentration of the makers of adulterated and spurious products. Similar areas also exist in and around Chittagong city. The law enforcers and agencies concerned know everything about these activities. But their not taking of action is ensured through bribery. Thus, the government would be addressing a vital area of public concern by resuming the sort of hard drive against these activities -- seen in the past -- without wasting any more time.
CONSUMERS in Bangladesh have been oppressed by the activities of producers of adulterated and sub-standard goods and fake products of reputed companies. But such oppression had some limits in the past. But in recent times, the carefree activities of the doers of these crimes seem to suggest as if there is none to watch over them ; thus, consumers' gross insecurity and exploitation at the hands of these people are seen to be all pervasive.
Some years ago, a sustained crackdown against these offences, were noted. It had the effect of forcing the offenders to curtail their activities. Public awareness about the risky products was also sharpened and the consumers were found taking some measures on their own to shun such harmful goods. But this drive was called off. The immediate past caretaker government did not put emphasis in this area although these activities involving people's health and their lives in so many cases, deserved to be addressed in a tough and uncompromising manner. Sensing an withdrawal of law enforcement action, the offending producers in different sectors are noted to have become even more bold and daring.
For example, it is reported that one person who was arrested during a mobile court drive three years ago for selling adulterated ghee using the brand name of a well known company and suffered a jail term for about a year and a half, is engaged with greater enthusiasm in his criminal activities after his release. He now has three factories when earlier he had one, to produce and market his fake ghee. The above example only underlines the great necessity of starting immediately and maintaining a drive against such unreformed criminals and all others who are acting with impunity. The government is about to adopt a new legislation to protect consumers' interests. But that legislation will prove to be hardly effective without being backed up by strong law enforcement actions in the form of the mobile courts of the past.
The extent of the threat is almost mind boggling. But first in the list should be food and medicines. Even spurious life saving saline fluids are being marketed. Frequent deaths are reported from reactions caused by such spurious saline and antibiotic medicines. The very serious adulteration of all kinds of food products is well known. Even fuel oils used by motor vehicles are adulterated on a large scale. From electrical bulbs to shampoos and various electrical products, there are thousands of products of a wide range which are being produced in underground factories and also getting successfully marketed faking the brand name of well known companies. Not only consumers are not getting their money's worth from consuming the same, they are dangerously exposing their health to serious diseases from using these products specially the food and food-related ones. There are areas in and around old Dhaka which have concentration of the makers of adulterated and spurious products. Similar areas also exist in and around Chittagong city. The law enforcers and agencies concerned know everything about these activities. But their not taking of action is ensured through bribery. Thus, the government would be addressing a vital area of public concern by resuming the sort of hard drive against these activities -- seen in the past -- without wasting any more time.