Who is a consumer? This question is a common answer to another question “What is the extent of consumer rights in Bangladesh?” So, it is nothing but queering on a façade to ask even a social stakeholder about consumerism. In an inquiry for ignorance, we would find the lack of awareness among the general people of the country as the only cause behind it. It is a question of fact to the social catalysts as well as the policy planners why we do not know what are we consuming and which are under the term of consumable goods, services etc? We are grateful to the parliament for enacting the Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009, which brought a light of hope for us to enforce our rights in the courts and get a platform to speak for the rights specified in the law. However, are these specifications sufficient? It seems to leave a controversy of darkness underneath the candle light. Now within the scope of Right to Information, it can easily be claimed that the mass people has the right to know the first question placed at the starting of this article.
In political terms, all the potential voters, legal terms exclude the corporations, companies as being the consumers rather all the living persons to be. Nonetheless, the concept is negligently recognized by the business people as they decide on a policy of buy/not-buy decision makings. This leads to a limitation of bargaining power of the consumers (customers: called in marketing policy). Bargain is a stage of negotiation between the consumer and business people which confers rights upon the both parties to decide on a specific good or service in selling and buying. This proposition has to be examined in the light of the existing Consumer Protection Law in Bangladesh as to whether the position of consumers is at equal stage or not concerning the bargain power.
The majority people of the country live in the rural areas of Bangladesh and a number of national and international development agencies are working for their capacity building through awareness, but now these mass awareness building activities are subject to question as the grass root level people lack the minimum knowledge of their right as consumers. In recent years we have experienced consumerism only as a Dhaka centered program. It is to be noted that, where only about 10% of the total population lives in the Capital, how the whole nation could get introduced with such unknown rights if the activities of a movement start from and end at the same place, i.e.: Dhaka? The awareness programs on consumers should target the poorest section of the country people, who have not got access to the consumerism in Bangladesh yet. Moreover, the movement should not only be a mere watchdog to the law implementation, it must reach the grass root level people and bring their voice and complaints to the concerned agencies whether national or international.
The time has come to get up for standing against the manufacturing, marketing and consumption of toxic and harmful food and drinks which causes unbound harm to public health and equally against the rise in charges for health, education and other public services. The policy makers of the country should take into account the wish of the people in deciding to plan for a charge increase whether in the transport sector or in pharmaceuticals. These are the examples of direct consumable goods and services by the public, but what about the indirect components? The government for no apparent reason, failed to set assured the Musok (Value Added Tax) form usage by the businessmen and also could not enforce to use machine based receipt system in shops. We feel there is a shadow authority which is pulling back the Government organs in implementing consumer rights. If the Mosuk form is made mandatory in all the shops and a continuous monitoring by NGOs and other civil society organizations is appointed from this vary day, it can be guaranteed that the tax payment rate would rise at the top pick by the next financial year closing as the expected rate by NBR.
It is highly appreciable that some international development agencies like USAID and UNIDO, EU has started to aware the mass people about the consumer rights, no matter what development it would bring about we, the country people and local organizations must step forward to bring it all successes.
অনলাইনে ছড়িয়ে ছিটিয়ে থাকা কথা গুলোকেই সহজে জানবার সুবিধার জন্য একত্রিত করে আমাদের কথা । এখানে সংগৃহিত কথা গুলোর সত্ব (copyright) সম্পূর্ণভাবে সোর্স সাইটের লেখকের এবং আমাদের কথাতে প্রতিটা কথাতেই সোর্স সাইটের রেফারেন্স লিংক উধৃত আছে ।