Consumer Rights: One-fifth complaints unsettled last fiscal year
Abdul Hakim, a businessman from Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur district, had paid in advance for several products from Evercare Agro Food and Beverage Ltd in January but upon receiving the goods, he immediately informed the company that they were damaged.
Seeing as the matter remained unresolved, Hakim then lodged a complaint with the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) in mid-June but to no avail.
Another case is that of Afroza Akhter, a resident of the capital's Uttara area, who had ordered three motorbikes from Dhamaka Shopping in June 2021 by paying around Tk 4 lakh in advance.
Akhter is yet to receive delivery even though the e-commerce platform promised the bikes would be delivered within 45 working days and so, she too submitted a complaint to the DNCRP.
But like Hakim, her case remains unresolved to this day.
According to DNCRP data, the national consumer rights body received a total of 14,654 complaints in fiscal year 2021-2022.
Among these complaints, 11,541 cases were settled while the remaining 3,113, or about 21 per cent, are yet to be disposed of.
Similarly, 14,910 complaints were received in fiscal 2020-21, when 11,623 cases were settled. As such, 3,287, or 22 per cent, of the cases are still open.
Hakim had paid initially paid Tk 40,000 in advance for his products but after complaining that they were damaged, Evercare Agro Good and Beverage took an additional Tk 38,000 in February on the promise of providing better goods.
After the second set of products arrived, he found that those too were damaged and again informed the company, which asked for another Tk 25,000.
But despite making these multiple payments, Hakim is yet to receive the proper goods or a refund.
Hakim then complained to the DNCRP and a hearing was subsequently called last week but no one from Evercare Agro Food and Beverage was present.
The Daily Star tried to contact Evercare Agro Food and Beverage for a comment regarding the issue but the company did not respond by the time this report was filed.
A DNCRP official said letters had been sent to officials of the company, asking them to appear at the hearing.
"If they do not show up at the next hearing, then the organization will be raided," he added.
Mohammad Hasanuzzaman, assistant director of complaints at the DNCRP, said the main reason for complaints remaining unresolved in the last fiscal year is that they were unable to find the person or entity against whom the complaint was made.
In fiscal 2021-22, accused individuals and establishments across the country were fined for various offenses, including adulterated products, false advertisements, weight manipulation and more.
AHM Shafiquzzaman, director general of the DNCRP, said they are trying to resolve the complaints with due diligence.
SM Nazer Hossain, vice-president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, said some complaints remain unsettled every year.
"That is why some laws of the agency have to be changed and besides, we are facing a manpower crunch," he added.
Hossain went on to say that the number of complaints is increasing every year but this is a positive sign as it means that consumer awareness has improved.
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