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The government has so far returned Tk472 crore to customers affected by financial scams involving e-commerce companies such as Evaly, E-Orange and others, the Commerce Minister said in Parliament on Sunday.
Commerce Minister Abdul Khondkar Muktadir said customers had filed 58,720 complaints with the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, involving claims worth around Tk3,869 crore.
Of the money recovered following the scandals, around Tk531 crore has been secured. Of this, Tk472 crore has been returned to customers through escrow services under the government’s policy, while the remaining funds are being processed following verification and hearings.
The minister was responding to an urgent attention notice raised by Rashedul Islam Rashed, MP for Sherpur-1, during the parliamentary session chaired by Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaisar Kamal.
Rashed expressed concern over repeated financial scandals in the digital commerce sector, citing Evaly, E-Orange, Dhamaka Shopping, Qcoom and Alesha Mart, as well as problems in the online travel and ticketing sector.
The minister said 1,902 digital commerce businesses have so far been registered through the RJSC under the Digital Business Identification (DBID) guidelines. Bangladesh Bank has also introduced merchant acquiring and escrow service guidelines to reduce fraud.
He said the government is considering establishing a separate “E-Commerce Authority” to strengthen regulation, introduce an early-warning and monitoring system, and prevent fraud.
As the creation of a new authority may take time, the government is also considering amending the Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 to enable the existing consumer rights authority to regulate digital commerce and related offences in the interim.