Development of Consumer Protection Law in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study

In the free market economy the buyer is a silent victim of manipulated market forces in the country. It is happening due to long-drawn out absence of a consumer law. The provisions of consumer protection can be found at Articles 15 and 18 of the Constitution. Bangladesh has a few specific consumer protection legislations which are ‘scanty’, scattered over a whole range of consumer interests. Therefore, there is no successful consumers’ protection law in Bangladesh. The study has been attempted to focus on existing rules about consumer rights protection and identifies the present status of consumers and problems faced by the consumers. Finally, this paper has provided some suggestions for remedial measures. The study found that the people of Bangladesh have faced various problems such as adulterations, inconsistent high price, deceptive advertising, packaging & branding, labeling, mal-practices, false information about goods and services, shortage in weights measures, false dating made in imitation products, fraudulent production or sold and black marketing & hoarding etc. The present government should take measures in enacting new consumers’ right protection laws as early as possible and the govt. should show their sincere interest in this regard.