Consumer protection in Bangladesh

The Consumers’ Right Protection Act, 2009 prohibits practices such as selling adulterated, counterfeit or expired goods and medicine, charging more than a fixed or displayed price, using false advertising, manipulating weights or measures, and failing to deliver goods or services as promised. Product labels generally need to show information such as weight or amount, ingredients, use instructions, maximum retail price, manufacture or packaging details and expiry information. Businesses should display applicable goods or service prices. Depending on the offence, the Act provides for imprisonment of up to one to three years, fines of roughly Taka 50,000 to Taka 200,000, and possible seizure or confiscation; repeat offences can attract up to twice the relevant penalty. The Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection, or DNCRP, and the National Consumers’ Complaint Centre handle general consumer complaints. A complaint should be submitted in writing or electronically with the purchase receipt or other evidence, the complainant’s full name, address and telephone details, and information identifying the seller or service provider. The general deadline is 30 working days from the cause of action. The DNCRP hotline is 16121, available 24 hours a day, and complaints can also be sent to nccc@dncrp.gov.bd or through CCMS at ccms.dncrp.com. District Magistrates and DNCRP divisional or district offices can also be involved. The reviewed DNCRP information does not state a filing fee, although a court may require a deposit for laboratory examination. A DNCRP proceeding is an administrative or criminal enforcement process and does not automatically produce a refund. If a complaint succeeds, 25% of the realized fine may be paid to the complainant, except where the complainant is a DNCRP employee; this payment is an incentive and not guaranteed reimbursement of the purchase price. A separate civil proceeding before the Joint District Judge may seek replacement, take-back, refund or compensation of up to five times the proven monetary loss plus suit costs. An appeal against a civil judgment generally has a 90-day period, while an appeal against a magistrate decision generally has a 60-day period. A voluntarily paid administrative fine is generally due within five working days. Financial complaints follow a specialized path. Customers should first complain to the bank, finance company or mobile financial service provider and use its Complaint Cell. If the response is unsatisfactory, the Bangladesh Bank Customer Interest Protection Centre can be contacted at 16236 during office hours on working days, by email at bb.cipc@bb.org.bd, through its online form or by hardcopy. The submission should include identity and contact details, a detailed account, the provider’s final response and supporting evidence. The Centre does not generally take anonymous, unsigned or incomplete complaints, matters outside its scope, unauthorized third-party complaints or cases already before a court. A refund or chargeback is not guaranteed. Online non-delivery, false offers and overcharging can be reported to the DNCRP in writing or through CCMS. Keep the order record, payment confirmation, seller identity, delivery information, messages and refusal or non-delivery evidence. A payment or mobile-finance dispute should also be raised with the payment provider and then Bangladesh Bank. Telecom or connectivity complaints should go first to the operator and then to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission. Suspected criminal or online fraud can be reported to Bangladesh Police through Online GD; use 999 for an emergency. Sector-specific bodies handle other consumer problems. The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission requires each licensee to maintain a complaint centre, so an energy complaint normally starts with the supplier and can then proceed to BERC by telephone or in writing; BERC lists +880255110308 and 09:00–17:00, as well as chair.berc.bd@gmail.com, for consumer contact. Food safety complaints can be sent to the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority at toll-free 16155, available from 08:00 to 24:00. The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution handles standards, metrology and packaging concerns through hotline 16119 and dg@bsti.gov.bd. The Directorate General of Drug Administration accepts complaints about unregistered, counterfeit, substandard or falsified medicines and wrong packaging. Private healthcare complaints may be inspected or referred by DNCRP to the Ministry of Health or the Directorate General of Health Services, but the reviewed material does not state a direct DNCRP remedial measure for every healthcare dispute. Tourism-provider grievances can be submitted through the Bangladesh Tourism Board grievance system, which states a disposal target of 30 working days and an appeal period of 20 working days. Aviation and airport matters belong with the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh grievance system and its appellate officers. A private booking refund or contract dispute depends on the supplier, applicable regulator and civil-law options; Bangladesh has no general EU-style package-travel cancellation regime established in the reviewed material. Local public terminology commonly includes ভোক্তা-অধিকার সংরক্ষণ আইন, ২০০৯, জাতীয় ভোক্তা-অভিযোগ কেন্দ্র, ভোক্তা-বাতায়ন and CCMS.