Consumers must be protected

For too long the consumers in Bangladesh have been victims of the service providers who, in spite of the well established norms of providing the best value for the good purchased , rarely measure up to the standard

At a seminar titled ‘Enhancing Public Awareness through Publicity of the Consumers’ Right Protection Act, 2009,’ at Rangpur experts stated that creating adequate social awareness has become imperative for ensuring strict enforcement of the Consumers’ Right Protection Act, 2009, to free the common people from food poisoning, contaminations and related diseases. In Bangladesh, consumer rights is something which is still an unknown area because there has not been a comprehensive awareness drive in the past to make the people aware that once they buy a product or avail themselves of a public utility, they are entitled to certain privileges. This is exactly the reason why adulterated food items are often sold to the masses whose only reaction is limited to losing their temper.

Consumer rights becomes crucial, since today, a large number of everyday items from food to home appliances to electronic equipment are manufactured here. Unless there is a clearly delineated law, the standard of these items may falter. Obviously, local buyers are the first priority, but looking at the larger picture, if our products are to make any impact at the international market, then strict quality control is a must.  The district commissioner’s office can provide the necessary logistical support with the DC’s of respective districts adding impetus to the campaigns through bringing out processions and rallies.

In the cities, all major shopping malls should be made to hand out leaflets making buyers aware of the basic principles of buyers’ rights, outlined in simple language. In case a buyer feels that his/her right has been violated in some way, they should be able to lodge a complaint by dialing an easy to remember number, with the assurance of swift action. As Bangladesh aims to become a middle income country by 2021, the issue of consumer rights cannot be neglected or treated as a secondary subject.

Side by side with updating the consumer law we feel that all relevant actions to implement the act should be started in full gear. We understand that the government, for the purpose of ensuring consumer rights, has planned to set up a National Consumer Protection Rights Council, to be formed at the district level in the first phase, which would receive complaints from the consumers. This should be set up immediately. Alongside this, the government should also complete the process of enacting a competition law which would help increase competitiveness among businesses so that they offer quality goods and services at fair prices.

 

Consumers must be protected

For too long the consumers in Bangladesh have been victims of the service providers who, in spite of the well established norms of providing the best value for the good purchased , rarely measure up to the standard

At a seminar titled Enhancing Public Awareness through Publicity of the Consumers Right Protection Act, 2009, at Rangpur experts stated that creating adequate social awareness has become imperative for ensuring strict enforcement of the Consumers Right Protection Act, 2009, to free the common people from food poisoning, contaminations and related diseases. In Bangladesh, consumer rights is something which is still an unknown area because there has not been a comprehensive awareness drive in the past to make the people aware that once they buy a product or avail themselves of a public utility, they are entitled to certain privileges. This is exactly the reason why adulterated food items are often sold to the masses whose only reaction is limited to losing their temper. Consumer rights becomes crucial, since today, a large number of everyday items from food to home appliances to electronic equipment are manufactured here. Unless there is a clearly delineated law, the standard of these items may falter. Obviously, local buyers are the first priority, but looking at the larger picture, if our products are to make any impact at the international market, then strict quality control is a must. The district commissioners office can provide the necessary logistical support with the DCs of respective districts adding impetus to the campaigns through bringing out processions and rallies. In the cities, all major shopping malls should be made to hand out leaflets making buyers aware of the basic principles of buyers rights, outlined in simple language. In case a buyer feels that his/her right has been violated in some way, they should be able to lodge a complaint by dialing an easy to remember number, with the assurance of swift action. As Bangladesh aims to become a middle income country by 2021, the issue of consumer rights cannot be neglected or treated as a secondary subject. Side by side with updating the consumer law we feel that all relevant actions to implement the act should be started in full gear. We understand that the government, for the purpose of ensuring consumer rights, has planned to set up a National Consumer Protection Rights Council, to be formed at the district level in the first phase, which would receive complaints from the consumers. This should be set up immediately. Alongside this, the government should also complete the process of enacting a competition law which would help increase competitiveness among businesses so that they offer quality goods and services at fair prices.