4.

0 Practical approach to protect consumer rights in

Bangladesh
4.1 Introduction

To lessen the hassle and trouble of the consumers, Bangladesh approved Consumer Rights Protection
Act, 2009 following other legislative frameworks at first. But only enacting laws could not be the best
way to regulate the occurrence and violence against consumers. As a result, validating various laws to
control different sectors regarding consumers’ rights, Bangladesh has set up judicial boards and
governing panels to govern the whole administration systematically. These are-

i. Consumer Rights Protection Department

ii. National Consumer Rights Protection Council
iii. Special Tribunal
iv. Mobile Court
v. Drug Court
vi. Food Special Court
vii. Ordinary Criminal Courts
viii. Ordinary Civil Courts
ix. Marine courts
x. BSTI
xi. Claims Tribunal

Besides exemplary punishments are created to discourage the producers and sellers to follow any unfair
means.

 Capital Punishment under Special Powers Act,1974

 10 years imprisonment or BDT 2,00,000 fine under Drug Control Ordinance,1982
 3 years punishment or BDT 2,00,000 fine under Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009
 Compensation of 5 times the exact loss under Consumer Rights Protection Act,2009
 4 years imprisonment or BDT 1,00,000 under the BSTI Ordinance, 1985
 6 months imprisonment or fine of TK 1000 under the Penal Code, 1860

4.2 Consumers Association of Bangladesh:

Consumer Association of Bangladesh is an autonomous organization chiefly formed to protect
consumers’ rights of Bangladesh. It started its journey in 1978. It is an active member of Consumer
International. It was CAB’s initiative to urge the government to pass law that will ensure consumer
rights. It is constantly on the mission to conduct fruitful activities to sustain consumers benefits and
values. Ghulam Rahman holds the position of present president and general secretary of CAB.

4.3 The aims and objectives of CAB

The mission of CAB is to instill conscious about the rights of the consumers and to encourage a strong
action against any corruption related to the rights. Similarly, the vision of CAB is to attain and sustain
those rights.

The fundamental focuses of CAB are at

- Enlightening consumers about their rights and responsibilities

- Aiding customers’ by providing utmost empirical knowledge
- Creating liaison among human well-being concerned organizations
- Sharing facts about consumers’ right protection nationally and internationally
- Building consumers’ right protection departments in districts and thanas.
- Making thesis on the sufferings of the consumers and providing necessary remedies

4.4 How CAB helps consumer

Informing consumer:

CAB produces monthly bulletin in Bangla and quarterly bulletin in English and these bulletins are
available in various organizations of the country and the world. Moreover, it arranges symposium
seminars and prints leaflets and banners to address consumers’ hardships.

Regulating market price:

CAB controls market price daily to balance the prices of regular consumer goods. Besides, it fixes the
prices according to the buying capacity of the consumer. It has a market monitoring cell that always
surveys the current market scenario and publishes the findings in national media to aware consumer.

Prohibiting harmful practices:

CAB worked as significant support to adapt National Drug Policy. It controls the regular activities of the
policy since 1982. It also began Anti-Tobacco Campaign in 1981. It dictates the execution of the Breast
Milk Substitute Ordinance,1984.
Acknowledging consumers’ issues:

CAB operates a complaint center that collects the reviews of the consumers and list the issues of the
consumers. The complaint center is operated for research purpose too.

Unveiling corruption:

CAB tries to uncover the companies practicing corruption frequently so that consumers do not get
cheated. For instance- it disclosed the fraudulence of Milk Vita company claiming to deliver pure milk.

To avail the ability to purchase pure and qualified product by fair and reasonable price, consumer rights
protection is must thing to secure. In Bangladesh, the rights of the consumers are mostly assured by CAB
(Consumer Association of Bangladesh) and Government owned tribunals and courts. The most
significant law that is enforced to guard the rights is Consumer Rights Protection Act,2009 which is
composed from Article 15 and Article 18 of the Constitution of Bangladesh. Daily price hike and
syndication becomes the sufferings and agony of the consumers. The governing institutions associated
with consumer rights are making upgraded strategies day by day to pace with such violations.