Raids on Edible Oil Markets in 33 Districts, 92 Businesses Fined a Total of Tk 828,000

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection has raided markets for edible oil and other daily essentials across the country. In the raids, carried out in 33 districts including Dhaka metropolitan area, 92 businesses were fined a total of Tk 828,000 for various irregularities.

A press release from the directorate said each business was fined Tk 9,000 on average.

On Wednesday (November 4), 51 teams of the directorate simultaneously raided wholesale and retail markets.

The directorate said the main purpose of the raids was to check the prices and supply situation of edible oil and other daily essentials. Teams checked whether shops had displayed updated price lists and whether products were being sold above the fixed prices.

The raids also checked for manipulation of weights and measures, the sale of expired products and medicines, and the production and sale of counterfeit and adulterated products. Whether hotels and restaurants were following the relevant rules was also monitored.

During the raids, traders were told to refrain from creating artificial shortages of products, unreasonable stockpiling and obstructing supply. They were also warned to display updated price lists in visible places in their shops and to ensure correct weights and measures. Leaflets were distributed among buyers and sellers to raise awareness.

Members of law enforcement agencies of the respective divisions and districts, health inspectors, representatives of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and representatives of industry and trade associations assisted in the raids.

The directorate also gave advice to consumers. They were asked not to create artificial shortages in the market by buying more products than they need. They were told to check the price list, the maximum retail price and the production and expiry dates before buying a product. They were also advised to check that the weight is correct and to take a receipt from the seller. Anyone who faces irregularities or fraud can complain to the directorate's hotline, 16121.

The raids came at a time when the supply of bottled soybean oil in the market has been unstable for several months. The price of soybean oil has been raised twice this year. At the end of April, the price of bottled soybean oil was set at Tk 199 per litre. At the beginning of September, it was raised by another Tk 5 to Tk 204. Even after the price increases, retailers and consumers complained that bottled oil was not available in many shops.

According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, 261,000 tonnes of soybean oil were imported from January to April this year. In the same period of the previous year, imports were 448,000 tonnes — a fall of about 42 percent. The directorate has been conducting regular raids for several months to prevent irregularities in the market.