6 firms’ weblinks to be closed

The Central Digital Commerce Cell under the commerce ministry has decided to close the weblinks of six e-commerce firms for operating multilevel marketing (MLM) businesses using their platforms.

They are thole.com, Glitters RST World, Annex World Wide, Excellent World Agro Food and Consumer, Alif World, and Green Bangla E-Commerce.

Some other companies would also face a similar fate if the allegations against them are proved to be true, said ministry sources.

The digital commerce cell wrote to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission on August 1, asking it to close the weblinks, apps, and social media links of the six companies.

Hafizur Rahman, additional secretary of the commerce ministry and head of the digital commerce cell, told The Business Post the e-commerce guideline bars such companies to run MLM businesses using their platforms.

“It was decided to close the weblinks of several companies as they were running MLM businesses violating the guideline.”

As several companies were allegedly operating MLM businesses under the guise of e-commerce, the digital commerce cell conducted primary investigations.

The investigations found that these companies have been running MLM businesses posing as e-commerce firms for a long time.

As a result, it was decided to close the weblinks of the six companies at the sixth meeting of the technical committee on e-commerce on July 28.