The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) on Thursday presented its progress report on the implementation of its annual action plan for the September 2025-August 2026 period, highlighting organisational restructuring, consumer awareness, food safety, child labour prevention and engagement with government agencies.
The report was presented at a press conference held at CAB’s central office at Segunbagicha in the capital at 11:00am.
CAB Executive Director Ahmmad Ekramullah said the organisation had strengthened its organisational structure over the past year and reconstituted committees in 60 districts.
“We have been working to raise public awareness. We are working with different organisations, including the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection,” he said.
He added that CAB had undertaken academic activities with universities and was engaging young people in its programmes. The organisation also conducted health-related activities in different districts, became involved with Power in AI, worked on prevention of child labour and held discussions with stakeholders in different divisions.
Speaking as the chief guest, CAB Central Committee President A H M Shafiquzzaman said the organisation had identified 16 priority areas when it announced its annual action plan a year ago.
“An organisation needs institutional capacity to operate effectively. Many of CAB’s previous committees were inactive, but they have now been made largely active. District and upazila committees are also conducting various activities,” he said.
He said CAB was also working on amendments to its constitution.
Focus on consumer rights
Shafiquzzaman said consumer rights remained CAB’s primary focus, while the organisation was also addressing broader public-interest issues such as environmental degradation and river pollution.
“We want to speak for the consumer rights of the country’s 180 million people. We also want to use social media to reach people and make them aware of their rights,” he said.
He said CAB had started working with the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) in a new way and had increased communication and cooperation with several government agencies, including the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, the Ministry of Food and the Ministry of Industries.
On CAB’s institutional capacity, he said the organisation did not have its own building.
“If we had our own office, we could work more effectively. We have written to the Public Works Department regarding this,” he said.
He also said CAB was working to increase its funding and had received Tk 1 crore from the Ministry of Finance.
Action against dishonest businesses
Shafiquzzaman stressed that consumer interests should remain the organisation’s priority.
“We do not want to be associated with dishonest businesses,” he said, adding that CAB was working with development organisations such as GAIN and ESDO and seeking to strengthen ties with international organisations.
He also called for prompt action if CAB members or activists faced threats while working at the grassroots level.
On the electricity sector, he said CAB had held a hearing over excessive electricity prices.
“Our demand was that electricity theft must be stopped, but necessary steps are yet to be taken in this regard. We want to put pressure on the government on these issues,” he said.
CAB, he added, was conducting issue-based programmes across the country. Recently, the organisation held a programme in Chattogram protesting an increase in transport fares.
Child labour and future priorities
The CAB president said the organisation was seeking to expand its engagement with young people and was working with different organisations, including ESDO, to prevent child labour.
According to figures cited by him at the press conference, around 1.2 million children in Bangladesh are engaged in hazardous work, while nearly 5 million are involved in child labour.
Outlining CAB’s priorities for the coming period, Shafiquzzaman said the organisation would focus on strengthening its social media capacity, organising consumers and preventing adulterated products from entering the market.
“We will further intensify our anti-adulteration activities. At the same time, we will work on area-based lists of product prices,” he said.
CAB is also planning to relaunch its publication Bhakta Kantha in a new format, he added.
The programme was chaired by CAB Central Committee General Secretary Advocate Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan.
He said CAB was being involved in various government initiatives and had also been engaged through the courts in efforts to address the theft of passengers’ belongings at airports.
“We are neither friends nor enemies of the business community. We want to work against dishonest businesses,” he said.
CAB Organising Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Publicity Secretary Anwar Hossain Chowdhury, Executive Committee member Anwar Hossain, and freedom fighter Kader Mondal were also present at the event.
