Commerce ministry on Monday asked the central bank to supply details about transactions, assets and bank balance of 44 e-commerce portals.
It also asked the Bangladesh Bank (BB) to find ways to recover money and assets of the errant dotcoms, according to a BB source.
The Criminal Investigation Department, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence and the Directorate General of National Security Intelligence sent separate lists of 34, 13 and 27 controversial platforms respectively.
But the ministry has sought details about 44 e-commerce firms in the shortest possible time, the source added.
The agencies found that the online marketers were cheating their consumers concerned in the name of e-commerce recently, according to a document.
The 15-member high-powered committee in its second meeting decided to seek information on 44 e-commerce platforms, according to the letter that sent to BFIU.
The cabinet division formed the committee on October 12. It sat in the latest meeting on November 01.
According to the order, it will also bring the overall e-commerce sector under its scanners to discipline the crisis-ridden sector.
The committee will ensure bringing the ministries, divisions and other state agencies concerned which are only involved in e-commerce related issues under a digital platform and inter operability system.
It has been assigned to ensure bringing the sector under registration and licensing coverage, including VAT and tax net.
The panel will collect information about all the transactions and assets of accused e-commerce platforms and the status of banking transactions of the controversial platforms.
It will take next course of action for protecting the affected e-commerce customers concerned.
The committee will also take necessary future tools on controlling, supervision and monitoring of the country's-commerce firms.
The panel must submit a report to the cabinet division within the next one month.
The government has already taken multiple steps in the wake of a series of scandals by dubious e-commerce platforms like Evaly, E-orange, Dhamaka Shopping and Sirajganj Shop.
The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has requested the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to take necessary steps for de-freezing accounts to return the Tk 2.14 billion - stuck with different payment gateways - to e-commerce customers.
A H M Shafiquzzaman, the MoC additional secretary and chief of Digital Commerce Cell (DCC), told it to reporters in a press conference after second meeting of the 15-member committee - formed by the Cabinet Division - on Monday.
"We have written to the Public Security Division under the MoHA regarding the Tk 2.14 billion. The amount is stuck with various payment gateways due to e-commerce platforms' failure to deliver goods to customers against their payments. Currently, the amount has been blocked by the agency concerned."
"We will be able to pay the money back as soon as possible, if it is released quickly."
Besides, the issue of providing Unique Business Identification Number (UBIN) to e-commerce platforms was given primary approval on the day. Currently, the a2i Programme under ICT Division is developing necessary software in this regard, Mr Zaman said.
The government is expected to issue UBINs in favour of e-commerce platforms soon. Its registration format has already been finalised.
"We have received three lists of 49 e-commerce platforms from the country's three intelligence agencies. They have separately sent the names of 19, 17 and 13 platforms," he noted.
"We will hand over the lists to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), seeking latest bank transactions of the e-commerce companies - listed by the intelligence agencies."
"The committee will sit in its third meeting on November 09. We will submit a report to the Cabinet Division before November 11 after scrutinising different issues regarding e-commerce in line with its instruction," Mr Zaman added.
The government has already taken steps following scandals of various e-commerce platforms such as Evaly, E-orange, Dhamaka Shopping, and Sirajganj Shop etc.
