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Consumer rights need collective action beyond law: DNCRP chief

Published : Tuesday, 22 September, 2026 at 7:55 PM

Observer Online Report

Protecting consumer rights requires more than enforcing laws and calls for positive changes in social values and responsible behaviour, said Md Zahirul Islam, director general of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP).

“Legal enforcement alone cannot ensure all aspects of consumer rights protection,” he said at a workshop on the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, organised for media professionals at the DNCRP headquarters in Dhaka today.

“Laws and regulations are being reformed as necessary, but alongside these efforts, ensuring a positive change in our overall values and responsible behaviour is equally important,” Zahirul said.

“After all, we are all consumers in one way or another, and every consumer has the right to safe and quality products and services,” he added.

Around 44 journalists from national print and electronic media outlets attended the workshop at the DNCRP conference room at TCB Bhaban in Karwan Bazar.

The DNCRP chief said counterfeit and adulterated products remained in the market and stressed collective action against their production and marketing.

He said the directorate had increased market monitoring and enforcement drives and would further strengthen them. He also urged journalists to raise public awareness by reporting irregularities objectively and based on facts.

“Only through collective efforts can we build a safe, orderly and responsible market system,” he said.

During an open discussion, journalists raised questions about monitoring essential commodity prices, anti-adulteration drives, online fraud and e-commerce complaints, field-level manpower and logistical shortages, simplifying digital complaint filing, proposed amendments to the law and expanding the directorate’s activities outside Dhaka.

The DG responded to the questions and outlined the directorate’s ongoing activities and future plans.

DNCRP Director (Activities and Laboratory) Atia Sultana said the workshop aimed to strengthen cooperation between the directorate and the media.

“The media plays an important role in informing people about their legal rights, the process of filing complaints and the activities of the directorate,” she said, urging journalists to maintain accurate, objective and responsible reporting.

Assistant Director Tahmina Begum made a presentation on the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, while Assistant Director Muhammad Hasanuzzaman of the DNCRP’s Dhaka District Office spoke about field-level monitoring.

Assistant Director Abdul Jabbar Mondal of the Dhaka Divisional Office said stronger awareness campaigns would make preventive and remedial measures more effective and make businesses more conscious of their responsibilities.

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Secretary General Advocate Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said the DNCRP was established as a result of CAB’s longstanding movement for consumer rights. He called for stronger action against repeat offenders, including closure where necessary.

Dhaka Reporters Unity General Secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel called for stronger legislation, a review of penalties under Section 52 and greater coordination among government agencies. He welcomed the inclusion of digital and online fraud in the proposed amendments and suggested regular essay competitions to raise awareness.

National Press Club President Hasan Hafiz said rising fuel prices were affecting ordinary people and called for measures to reduce public hardship. He also urged stronger enforcement against extortion and proposed forming a national task force with better coordination among government agencies, the public and other stakeholders.

The workshop was chaired by Sebastian Rema, director (Administration and Finance) of the DNCRP.

In his concluding remarks, Rema said laws alone were not enough to bring the desired changes and stressed broader changes in social values. He thanked the participants for their suggestions and concluded the workshop.

- MaT