The leaders of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) told a views exchange meeting with media people yesterday that the draft law, National Consumer Protection Act-2007, prepared by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in collaboration of CAB, which has already been sent to the Office of the Chief Adviser for its approval, deserves consideration because it incorporated a clause that proposes formation of a special tribunal empowered with bringing dishonest business people to book.

"The 2006 proposals do not allow consumers to take the dishonest businessmen to court," Kazi Faruk, CAB general secretary, said at the meeting held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity office with its chairman Borhan Ahmed in the chair.

In the draft law, formation of a national consumer rights protection department has also been suggested, under which there might be some branch offices.

The BDR proposal says if any consumer is cheated by any businessman or institution, the former will have the right to sue them and lodge complaints with the director general of the department, the CAB official clarified.

Faruk said, "The old draft namely Consumer Protection Act-2006, also awaits government's nod, will give protection to the vested interest group among the business community, rather than protecting consumer rights."

The BDR proposals have all legal provisions to protect the consumers' rights through fair business activities, he said.

The BNP government initiated drafting of the old law 15 years back to allegedly serve the interests of a syndicate of some top businessmen, the meeting was also told.

This draft law was a focal point on many occasions during the last four-party alliance regime as consumers faced tremendous price hike of essential goods, but it did not come to light due to dilly-dallying policy of that government, the CAB leaders alleged.

They demanded immediate enactment of the BDR-proposed draft law instead of the 'faulty' old one.

Describing the new one as better, they said it proposes that anybody found dishonest will be fined Tk 300,000 or imprisoned for five years or will suffer both.

It also says if anybody tries to make profit by creating artificial crisis through hoarding of commodities it shall be treated as an offence and the persons guilty will be punished.

In this case, the person responsible for the offence will face up to five years in jail or fine of Tk 100,000 or both, it said.

CAB Chairman Borhan Ahmed said the BDR- proposed law can be helpful to keep prices of essential goods at a tolerable level.

Khalilur Rahman Sajal, treasurer and Emdad Hossain, programe officer of CAB, were present at the meeting.