Commerce ministry seeks bank information on two dotcoms


FE REPORT | Published: March 15, 2022 10:10:25 | Updated: March 16, 2022 10:12:32


Illustrative photo

The commerce ministry asks the central bank to supply banking details, including transactions of two e-commerce platforms-Dhamaka Shopping and Anonder Bazar-to facilitate payment to the cheated customers.

It has recently written to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of the Bangladesh Bank to this effect, an official source says.

The decision was made during two previous virtual meetings hosted last February.

Besides, Anonder Bazar was supposed to supply a list of affected customers but it failed.

The online marketplace collected an estimated Tk 800 million in the name of supplying products but it did not deliver finally, reads a ministry document.

The ministry doubted that the company had laundered the funds collected from its clients.

The collected funds were also transferred to different bank accounts for embezzlement, it cited.

The ministry has thus sought details of the two dotcoms in the shortest possible time.

Different state agencies found that a good number of online marketers were cheating consumers in the name of e-commerce last year.

They have already taken multiple steps in the wake of a series of scandals by dubious e-commerce platforms like Evaly, Eorange, Dhamaka and Sirajganj Shop.

The embattled Eorange starts processing to reimburse its customers the funds that got stuck with SSLCOMMERZ.

Initially, it will refund more than Tk 43 million to its 6,173 affected clients. Prior approval of no objection will be taken from the CID, an official said.

The SSL has recently sent a list to commerce ministry which is scrutinising the names, he added.

More than Tk 346.7 million funds remained stuck up with Foster SSL, according to the commerce ministry.

An estimated Tk 346.7-million Eorange funds from its customers now remains stuck with SSL.

Ten suspicious portals, including Qcoom and Alesha Mart, have recently refunded around Tk 582 million to their customers, according to the official.

The volume of stuck-up funds with 25 e-commerce platforms would be a staggering Tk 5.0 billion, reveals a latest central bank report.

rezamumu@gmail.com

Share if you like