The National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate has run a drive in Chuadanga Sadar and Alamdanga upazilas to control the market for essential goods, medicine, fertiliser and food. Three establishments were fined a total of 45,000 taka for irregularities in fertiliser sales, fraudulent medical treatment, and preparing food in unhygienic conditions.
The monitoring drive was carried out from 10:30am to 1pm on Tuesday (September 15) at Gokulkhali and Bhalaipur bazars in the district’s Sadar and Alamdanga upazilas. Mohammad Mamunul Hasan, assistant director of the Chuadanga district office, led the drive.
According to the directorate, under various sections of the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, Md Hamidul Islam, owner of Messrs Hamidul Traders in Gokulkhali, was fined 5,000 taka for illegally selling fertiliser; Md Saiful Islam, owner of Messrs Ziku Medical Hall, was fined 10,000 taka for providing fraudulent treatment through false advertising; and Md Kalam Uddin, owner of Messrs Bhai Bhai Hotel in Bhalaipur, was fined 30,000 taka for preparing and storing food in an unhygienic environment. A total of 45,000 taka was collected from the accused through administrative penalties.
During the drive, market traders were given strict instructions to keep updated price lists on display, buy and sell goods at fixed and fair prices, and not sell any expired, substandard or banned medicine, fertiliser, seeds or baby food.
District safe food officer Md Riaz Mahmud, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) representative Md Rafiqul Islam, and a team from the district Ansar battalion provided overall assistance during the drive. Assistant director Mohammad Mamunul Hasan said such monitoring drives would continue in the public interest and to keep the market system functioning normally.