Safeguarding Consumer Rights: The Case of Bangladesh with Regional Lessons from India and Pakistan

This is a common scenario in Bangladesh that consumers often encounter: violations of consumer rights, such as the availability of unsafe & counterfeit products, including essential items like edible oil, spices, baby foods, and fake cosmetics; the selling of date-expired products, even medicine; the mixing of different non-food-grade colors to make the foods more lucrative and attract customers; etc. Most surprisingly, some dishonest traders want to make more profit illegally, and they are directly involved in some gruesome activities that put the lives of consumers at high risk. Additionally, the majority of consumers are unaware of this consumer rights violation, and the illegal traders capitalize on this lack of awareness. The most vulnerable groups are low-income households, women, children, and older adults who have insufficient knowledge about their rights as consumers. This analysis will focus on the protection of consumer rights in Bangladesh, including the institutional framework, legal issues, and their effectiveness, compared with India and Pakistan. Moreover, the principal aim of this study will be to identify best practices that Bangladesh can adopt from comparable countries to implement and strengthen consumer rights protection in the country. The research will be conducted by analyzing the consumer rights protection acts of these countries, the activities of the relevant authorities, and government reports. The outcome of this study will be beneficial for the government of Bangladesh as well as the Directorate of National Consumers’ Rights Protection (hereinafter referred to as the DNCRP), the sole government organization authorized for the protection of consumer rights in the country.