Bangladesh will strengthen the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection with more manpower, modern equipment and digital services to ensure consumers have access to safe, pure and quality products, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said on Thursday.
The government will also gradually digitise the directorate’s existing services to make them more accessible and effective for consumers, he said.
“Ensuring that people are not forced to buy adulterated, substandard or harmful products with their hard-earned money is an important responsibility of the state,” Muktadir said.
He was speaking at an exchange of views with officials of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection at its conference room in Dhaka.
The minister said the directorate has an important role in protecting the rights of the country’s 170 to 180 million consumers.
He said steps would be taken to improve training, increase manpower, introduce modern equipment and expand the use of technology to enhance the directorate’s institutional capacity.
“The impact of an institution’s activities on people’s lives is more important than its size or recognition,” Muktadir said, underscoring the importance of the directorate’s work.
Research on international consumer protection systems
The government plans to commission the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) to study the organisational structures, staffing and service delivery systems of consumer protection agencies in different countries, the minister said.
The findings and recommendations of the research would be considered in expanding the directorate’s activities and making its services more consumer-friendly, he added.
“A number of new initiatives will be taken very soon so that consumers can receive the institution’s services more easily and effectively,” Muktadir said.
Commerce Ministry Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan attended the meeting as a special guest.
Md Zahirul Islam, director general of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, chaired the meeting.
Mohammad Hasan Arif, vice chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau, was also present.
The meeting discussed the directorate’s current activities, use of technology, manpower structure, future plans and measures to make consumer services more accessible and effective.
