A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking its direction upon the concerned bodies of the government to restrain the top officials of the vulnerable digital or e-commerce institutions from leaving the territory of Bangladesh.
It also prayed to the court to direct the respondents to investigate all transactions of the vulnerable digital or e-commerce institutions to ascertain whether they have committed the offence of money laundering.
Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir filed the petition on Thursday on behalf of 33 consumers of the e-commerce platform ‘eorange.shop’.
It also challenged the inactions and failure of the government bodies in taking necessary actions to protect the rights and interests of the consumers of digital or e-commerce platforms.
The petitioners prayed to the court to issue a ruling upon the respondents to explain as to why their failure and/or inaction to take necessary actions or preventive measures to protect the rights and interests of consumers of digital or e-commerce platforms including the petitioners should not be declared illegal.
They also prayed to issue a ruling to explain as to why the respondents should not be directed to take necessary steps to compensate the victims of digital or e-commerce platforms including the petitioners.
The petitioner also sought a direction upon the commerce ministry to constitute a committee of experts for the purpose of preparing specific proposals for the protection of rights and interests of the consumers and digital or e-commerce institutions.
The commerce secretary, finance secretary, information secretary, home secretary, Bangladesh Bank governor, WTO cell of the commerce ministry, head of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit and others have been made respondents in the petition.
The petitioners annexed vouchers and purchase orders worth Tk 160 million with the petition.
The petition would be placed in the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman this week, said lawyer Shishir Manir.
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