The High Court (HC) on Tuesday extended for two months its earlier order that stayed the fine of Tk 0.2 million imposed by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) on ticketing platform shohoz.com considering a charge of negligence in the process of selling tickets brought by a Dhaka University student.
The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan passed the order after hearing a petition filed by shohoz.com.
Considering an allegation filed by Mohiuddin Rony, a fourth-year student of the Theatre and Performance Studies Department of the University of Dhaka, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection on July 20 this year fined ticketing platform shohoz.com Tk 0.2 million for its negligence in the process of selling train tickets.
Later on July 25, shohoz.com filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of the decision passed by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection fining Tk 0.2 million to shohoz.com.
Upon hearing the petition the High Court bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir on July 31 stayed the fine.
It also issued a rule asking the concerned bodies of the government to explain as to why the decision taken by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection fining shohoz.com should not be declared illegal.
Commerce Secretary, Director General of the DNCRP, complainant Mohiuddin Rony, and two other respondents were asked to comply with the rule within two weeks.
Lawyer Tapas Kanti Baul who appeared in the High Court hearing on behalf of the DNCRP said, “The court will hold hearing on the rule over this issue after reopening of this court on October 16 following its ongoing annual vacation.”
Mohiuddin Rony on June 13 tried to book train seats on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route from the railway website. As per his claim, although the money was deducted from his mobile banking account, he did not get a seat in the train.
When he complained to the server room of Kamalapur station that day, he was told that there was a ‘system failure’, and if he did not receive the money within 15 days, he was asked to go again.
Then he made a complaint about the matter to the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, as well as holding a non-violent movement.
bikashju@gmail.com