Move to amend CRPA, penalties will double

Staff Reporter :
In a bid to protect the consumer rights against the malpractice of market manipulation, the concerned authority is going to double the existing provision of fine enshrined in the Consumer Rights Protection Act(CRPA), 2009.
Some domestic companies including international corporate houses are charging arbitrary prices of various foodstuffs and other products amid dollar crisis intensified various global issues including Russia-Ukraine war.
Director General of the Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection (DNCRP) AHM Shafiquzzaman said this while addressing a seminar jointly organised by the Jatiya Press Club (JPC) and DNCRP on Thursday, with JPC President Farida Yasmin in the chair.
DNCRP Director General AHM Shafiquzzaman discussed pros and cons of the law.
“When visiting the market, retailers blame wholesalers, while wholesalers blame mill owners and no one wants to take the responsibility. Various corporate groups are creating artificial crises in a view to earn high profits,” the DNCRP chief said.
DNCRP officials are conducting drives everywhere, he said adding that from oil, rice, sugar to eggs are also being investigated.
Nobody, from retailers to wholesale traders including corporate houses are exempted during the drive, AHM Shafiquzzaman said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Competition Commission has already been filed cases against many business houses for creating artificial crisis in the markets.
AHM Shafiquzzaman said, “Many people want the DNCRP to take action immediately. But we are not ready yet as the administrative law is not judicial law. Laws need to be strict and we are trying to amend it.”
He said that the DNCRP officers are not magistrates and they do not have judicial powers. They can only fine under the law and can file a lawsuit as a plaintiff only.
At this time, Shafiquzzaman urged the press to raise awareness among the people of the country about the act by publishing news.
He added his department has been conducting various programmes across the country in this regard.
Farida Yasmin emphasised the establishment of the consumers’ right and said the JPC always plays a significant role to protect consumer’s rights.
“There is no other complementary platform except the press to raise mass awareness,” she added.
Convener of JPC Training and Professional Quality Development Sub-committee Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty conducted the programme while DNCRP Director Monjur Mohammad Shahriar and JPC Joint Secretary Mainul Alam spoke in the programme.
Besides, over hundred of JPC members, DNCRP officials including Joint Secretary of JPC Md Ashraf Ali and Deputy Director of DNCRP Afroza Rahman were present in the workshop.