Director General (DG) of the Directorate of the National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) AHM Shafiquzzaman on Thursday said that his group is conducting drives to protect consumers from market manipulation.

“But, the biggest weakness of the DNCRP is lack of proper data and information. There is no legal source of data for this organization. There is also no scope for scrutinizing the available information received from the consumers and personal sources,” he said.

Shafiquzzaman said was addressing a seminar on ‘The Consumer Rights Protection Act-2009 and the Role of Media’ jointly organized jointly by the DNCRP and the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) held at the ERF auditorium in the capital’s Paltan area.

He also informed that the Directorate has decided to work jointly with the intelligence and law enforcement agencies to protect the rights of the consumers.

Both electronic and print media can play an important role in creating awareness regarding the consumers’ rights among the mass people, Shafiquzzaman said.

The DG said after being cheated time and again, the consumers now have reached such a level where they even could not perceive that their rights are being violated.

Director (admin and finance) Monjur Mohammad Shahriar said stressed the need for strengthening the Consumer Rights Protection Act to match it with the country’s development spree.

Besides, he said that the organogram of the Directorate needs to be increased, while the business bodies also need to be strengthened.

Shahriar also sought cooperation from the media for protecting the rights of the consumers.

ERF President Sharmeen Rinvy spoke at the seminar while its general secretary SM Rashidul Islam moderated the function. AFP Bureau Chief and ERF vice president Shafiqul Alam and Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Adviser Kazi Abdul Hannan also spoke on the occasion.

Rajabi Nahar Rajani, an official of DNCRP presented a paper on the operations of the Directorate and its Act.