Across Bangladesh, the web of counterfeit trade is quietly spreading through our markets, from food and cosmetics to medicine, garments, cash notes, and even QR codes. What seems like a "cheap alternative" often carries a much heavier cost for public health, the environment, and the country's reputation.
Fake food items, baby products, and cosmetics are made in small, unregistered factories using poor-quality or harmful ingredients. Counterfeit medicines and illegal garment production add another layer of risk, threatening lives and polluting the environment. Recently, digital scams using fake QR and barcodes have also joined the scene, tricking customers and hiding the true source of fake goods.
The counterfeit business model runs like a dark mirror of real trade; illegal production, informal distribution through markets and online shops, deceptive promotion with copied packaging, and low pricing to attract buyers. The result is a market where genuine producers lose trust and investors hesitate to step in. Authorities like BSTI and law enforcement have made efforts through raids, product testing, and awareness campaigns. Yet weak coordination, light penalties, and governance gaps allow the cycle to continue.
Unless stronger laws, digital verification, and consumer awareness grow hand in hand, this spiderweb will keep expanding. Breaking it means protecting not just brands, but the safety, health, and dignity of every Bangladeshi consumer.
Rafaya Rahamot
BBA, North South University
rafaya.rahamot.232@northsouth.edu