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Evaly customers demand money back

Staff Correspondent
23 Sep 2022 00:00:00 | Update: 23 Sep 2022 01:14:41
Evaly customers demand money back

Hundreds of customers and merchants on Thursday gathered outside the Evaly office in the capital’s Dhanmondi area demanding their money back and release of Evaly founder Mohammad Rassel.

The customers under the banner of “Evaly Merchant and Consumers Coordination Committee” formed a human chain outside the office following the transfer of the e-commerce platform’s responsibility to the family of Mohammad Rassel, former managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of controversial e-commerce platform.

Rassel’s wife Shamima Nasrin, a co-founder and former chairman of Evaly, rejoined the company’s board as its director on Thursday, said Mahbub Kabir Milon, managing director of the court-appointed board.

Milon, also a former additional secretary of the government, arrived at the Evaly office at 10am on Thursday. He said, “We submitted the final report on Evaly to the court. I hope, Evaly will turn back if the company gets investment.”

At the human chain, leaders of “Evaly Merchant and Consumers Coordination Committee” also expressed their gratitude to the court for allowing Evaly to resume its operation.

As per the instructions of the High Court, the new board of directors has been asked to appoint an official from the commerce ministry as an independent director for Evaly.

The ministry official cannot hold any position lower than that of a joint secretary. The new board will also have a representative from the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB).

Following a petition filed by a customer, the HC on 22 September last year put a moratorium on the sale or transfer of all movable and immovable asets of Evaly which was launched on December 16, 2018. The court also issued a ruling, asking why a liquidator should not be appointed to wind down the e-commerce platform immediately.

On October 18, 2021, the court formed a four-member new board, to manage, control, and assess the liabilities of the e-commerce platform. On September 15 last year, an Evaly customer filed a case with Gulshan Police Station against Mohammad Rassel and his wife Shamima Nasrin, erstwhile chairman of Evaly, on allegations of fraud and embezzlement.

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested Rassel and his wife Shamima in a raid at their residence in the capital’s Mohammadpur area the day after the case was filed. On April 6 last, Shamima was released on bail but her husband Rassel is still behind the bars.

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