Development of Consumer Protection Law in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study

Abstract

In the free market economy the buyer is a silent victim of manipulated
market forces in the country. It is happening due to long-drawn out absence of a
consumer law. The provisions of consumer protection can be found at Articles 15
and 18 of the Constitution. Bangladesh has a few specific consumer protection
legislations which are ‘scanty’, scattered over a whole range of consumer interests.
Therefore, there is no successful consumers’ protection law in Bangladesh. The
study has been attempted to focus on existing rules about consumer rights protection
and identifies the present status of consumers and problems faced by the consumers.
Finally, this paper has provided some suggestions for remedial measures. The study
found that the people of Bangladesh have faced various problems such as
adulterations, inconsistent high price, deceptive advertising, packaging & branding,
labeling, mal-practices, false information about goods and services, shortage in
weights measures, false dating made in imitation products, fraudulent production or
sold and black marketing & hoarding etc. The present government should take
measures in enacting new consumers’ right protection laws as early as possible and
the govt. should show their sincere interest in this regard.