DNCRP to work with cops, intelligence agencies

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) is finding irregularities everywhere it conducts drives, said the state-run agency’s Director-General (DG) AHM Shafiquzzaman on Thursday.

“The directorate’s main weakness is the lack of accurate information as we have no legal source. There is no scope to verify the information DNCRP gets from the consumers or personal sources,” he said while addressing a seminar jointly organised by DNCRP and the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) in Dhaka.

“To remedy that, DNCRP has decided to work jointly with the law enforcement and intelligence agencies,” Shafiquzzaman added.

He said that consumers have become oblivious to the fact their rights are being violated after being victimised by fraudulence for a long time.

“For example, in hospitals, pharmaceutical company agents wait in front of doctors’ chambers to see whether the doctor prescribed their company’s drugs. These agents also take pictures of patients’ prescriptions, violating their privacy,” he explained.

“Also, some English medium schools take the monthly fees of students for several months in advance during admission and force [parents] to buy books, school dress from them at a high price,” he said.

Travellers are also being charged excessively for any type of services at the tourist spots, he vented.

Shafiquzzaman also lamented, “Consumers are even failing to get proper services from Dhaka WASA, DESA [Dhaka Electric Supply Authority], and Titas [Gas Transmission & Distribution Company Limited]. The water quality is bad. The gas supply pressure is low. There is load shedding.”

“Basically, we are finding irregularities anywhere we conduct drives,” he said, hinting at plans to carry out drives regarding services of WASA, DESA, and Titas.

Regarding the recent edible oil crisis, he stressed that there should not be any supply crunch according to the information they have. “Still, the crisis happened. Companies reduced production while traders held onto supply orders, creating a monopoly in the market.”

Nothing can be done even if it’s public knowledge, he said. “Because a bigger crisis can occur if one or two major companies suspend production showing any excuse. Because the government wants to maintain an uninterrupted supply of goods,” he added.

Addressing the seminar held at the ERF office, DNCRP Director (administration and finance) Monjur Mohammad Shariar also said that the consumers’ rights law needs to be strengthened and the agency needs to be given more manpower and other facilities to end such irregularities.

“There are many popular companies that have irregularities. If DNCRP gets to work effectively, there will be fines and penalties in every sector,” he added.

AFP bureau chief and ERF Vice-President Shafiqul Alam called for amending the Consumers’ Right Protection Act and introducing stricter punishments. He also urged DNCRP to increase research and investigative activities.

ERF President Sharmin Rinvi and General Secretary SM Rashidul Islam, and Consumers Association of Bangladesh Adviser Kazi Abdul Hannan also spoke at the event, among others.