Home ›› 02 Nov 2021 ›› Front
The commerce ministry has sought bank details of 42 e-commerce companies, accused of luring customers with deceptive offers, from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).
Its digital commerce cell recently sent a letter to the BFIU, asking for available information on the latest financial situation of the companies.
Detailed information on the companies’ financial transactions, assets, and bank account status was also sought.
The ministry recently received a list of 25 companies from the National Security Intelligence (NSI), 13 from the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), and 32 from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Of them, eight companies appeared on all three lists, 10 on the CID and NSI lists, and two on the CID and DGFI lists.
Besides, the CID list contains the names of 14 companies that did not appear on other lists. The NSI list has seven such companies, and the DGFI list has three.
Officials said most of the 42 companies are involved in money laundering while investigations into the rest were underway.
The ministry’s Additional Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman said they were taking steps to recover the money swindled from consumers and merchants and then laundered. He said they would soon inform the cabinet of how the money would be recovered.
“Besides, we have asked the BFIU to investigate the assets of the companies. We will also recommend how e-commerce companies will operate,” he added.
Evaly, Alesha Mart, ringID, E-orange, Dhamaka Shopping, Aladiner Prodip, Priyoshop, Sirajganj Shop, Adyan Mart, Qcoom, BoomBoom Shopping, needs.com.bd, Eorange.shop, DalalPlus, Bajaj Collection, tholay.com, WeCoom, SPC World Express, nirapad.com, 24tkt, Play & Win, Daraz, Tiktiki, ShopUp, e-loans, Uthao Cash, RapidCash, Shahoj Life and lively, e-Shop India, and BD Like are among the 42 companies.
The CID, the NSI, and the DGFI have cracked down on the 42 companies that swindled customers out of thousands of crores of taka in the last few years in the name of selling discounted products and offering online investments and e-loans.
Meanwhile, the ministry wrote to the Public Security Division on Thursday, asking it to direct the CID and other law enforcement agencies to defreeze the accounts of e-commerce companies and release Tk 214 crore stuck in payment gateways.
“We are hopeful that the CID will defreeze the accounts soon. We can then return the money of the affected consumers and companies,” Shafiquzzaman, also the chief of the digital commerce cell, told a briefing after a meeting at the ministry on Monday.
Shafiquzzaman said a one or two per cent service charge might be levied on consumers and merchants while disbursing the money stuck in payment gateways.
UBID registration soon
a2i has prepared the unique business identification (UBID) number form for e-commerce companies, and the high-powered e-commerce committee finalised it on Monday.
“We are working on making digital versions of the form. The UBID registration will start soon,” said Shafiquzzaman.
Ministry officials said all existing and upcoming e-commerce companies would have to register with the digital commerce cell apart from obtaining the UBID.
Companies failing to do so would lose their licences, they said.
The Central Complaints Management System under the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection will use artificial intelligence to monitor irregularities and forgery of e-commerce platforms.
