City Reporter: The Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection and the district administration have fined various irregularities in egg price manipulation in Pahartali market of Chittagong city. The Chittagong Egg Traders Association has announced to stop the sale of eggs for an indefinite period in protest, claiming that the fine is harassment. Protesting their announcement, the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), Chittagong Division and City Committee, Chittagong Division and City Committee, which protects the interests of buyers and consumers of the country, has demanded to ban the activities of the Chittagong Egg Traders Association and to seal the shops of its members and, if necessary, bring the owners of the syndicate under the special power law. This information was revealed in a press release sent to the media on Monday (August 28) in protest against the association’s announcement to stop the sale of eggs for an indefinite period.
The statement was signed by CAB Central Committee Vice President SM Najer Hossain, CAB Chittagong Divisional General Secretary Kazi Iqbal Bahar Chhaberi, Vice President Journalist M Nasirul Haque, CAB Mahanagar President Jasmine Sultana Paru, General Secretary Ajay Mitra Shanku, CAB Chittagong South District President Alhaj. Abdul Mannan, President of Akbarshah Police Station Dr. Masbah Uddin Tuhin and Pahartali Police Station Harun Gafur Bhuiya and others.
In the statement, the leaders said, despite the absence of supply-related complications for several days, the egg trading syndicates have destabilized the egg market by showing an artificial crisis. Consumer rights and the district administration have announced to stop the sale of eggs by raising the false claim that the wholesale egg traders and vendors of Pahartali market are being subjected to ‘harassment’ after taking action against them with specific proof. This declaration of them proves that the unscrupulous egg traders and scammers have manipulated and increased the price of eggs for their personal interest and hope of more profit. Now that the administration has got proof of the manipulation, they are trying to “cover the fish with vegetables” by announcing a ban on sales.
The leaders asked the question, what do they have to fear if the businessmen do business without any artificial crisis and manipulation in accordance with the government rules including hanging receipts, price lists? They will commit crimes on the one hand, and show disdain for government laws on the other. And if the administration takes action, then the harassment will start again. In a civilized society there can be no more despicable act than this. The matter is much like “the big throat of the thief’s mother”.
The leaders also said in the statement that businessmen now have a culture of blaming others everywhere. If anything, they are not responsible for it, they are trying to turn the tide of the incident by blaming it on others as responsible corporate groups, importers etc. And if we are caught, we should be given policies, etc. He gave various suggestions. However, even though there is a detailed description in the Consumer Protection Act 2009 on how to do business, their argument is “we don’t know”, “we should be given new instructions”.
In the statement, the leaders also said that a week or two ago eggs were available between Tk 1,200 to Tk 30 per hundred, but traders are selling them for more than Tk 1,250 without any reason. Unscrupulous business circles are controlling the market by creating and syndicating artificial shortages in supply. Sometimes masala, sometimes sugar, sometimes oil, sometimes egg like this every day they are increasing the price of each product. When the administration embarks on a crackdown on irregularities, there is no hard receipt of purchase price, no price list or government rules and regulations to follow. And when they go to take legal measures to stop these disturbances in the interest of the public, they raise various excuses and engage in various tricks and conspiracies to obstruct the implementation of the law.
