Dhaka: A case will be filed against an e-commerce company for selling products at a much higher discount than the market price or cost for the purpose of deceiving customers, said the chairperson of the Competition Commission Mofizul Islam.
He said, ‘Some companies have sold products with unusual discounts in order to deceive the customers. Operating business with customer’s money.”
The Bangladesh Competition Commission will file a case against any other organization in the future if it finds evidence of anti-competition activities.
He was speaking at a meeting of representatives of e-commerce companies with the commission at the Competition Commission meeting room in New Eskaton in the capital on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by Bablu Kumar Saha, Director General, National Consumer Rights Protection Department, GM Salauddin and Nasreen Begum, members of the Competition Commission, Abdul Waheed Tamal, General Secretary of E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (E-CAB), General Secretary of Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) Islam (ERF).
The keynote speaker Mofizul Islam said: the commission filed a case against e-commerce company Evaly on August 12 last year on charges of fraud.
He said the lawsuit was filed after Eid; Dhamaka started selling products with a cashback offer of 80 to 150 %. Its investigation is in its final stages.
He said that the charge sheet will be given soon.
The chairperson said the government does not do business on its own. But acts as a referee.
He noted that e-commerce has been able to grow much faster in a short period of time due to the government’s business-friendly policy support and customer demand.
However, he noted that anti-competitive activities would no longer be tolerated to protect the interests of consumers.
Bablu Kumar Saha, Director General, National Consumer Rights Protection Department, urged the consumers to understand the business practices of the e-commerce organization and place orders.
He articulated that the number of consumer complaints against e-commerce companies has increased in recent times.
Customer fraud allegations have recently been made against several other companies, including Evaly, E-Orange, Alisha Mart.
The RAB has already arrested Mohammad Rassell, the chief executive of Evaly, and his wife and chairman Shamima Nasrin on charges of fraud. Currently, 1500 e-commerce companies are doing business online in the country.
