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Awareness for consumer protection

M S Siddiqui

Consumer rights gained importance in the world, particularly in western

countries in the last country. Subsequently it gained some ground in thedeveloping countries as well. Almost all the countries now have

consumer protection laws. The rights of consumers got international

recognition when in 1985 the UN adopted the basic guidelines for 

consumer rights protection. The guidelines stipulate that 'all citizens,regardless of their incomes or social standing, have basic rights as

consumers.'

Towards the end of the 20th century, consumer rights protection became

a movement. Nevertheless, the rights of consumers continue to be denied

or violated by governments, manufactures, sellers, and other powerfulquarters of society. Consumer rights include: the right to safety, the right

to be informed, the right to choose, and the right to be heard. A global

consumer movement led by Consumers International, a global federationof over 250 consumer organisations, added four more rights: the right to

satisfaction of basic needs, the right to redress, the right to education,

and the right to a healthy environment.

Following a movement by the Bangladesh consumers and civil society,

Consumers' Rights Protection Act 2009 was recently enacted by thegovernment. Due to poverty, unemployment and illiteracy, the people of 

Bangladesh face more consumer right problems. Like other rights,

consumer rights remain most ignored in Bangladesh; for lack of 

awareness many people do not check the manufacturing and expiry datesor whether or not the ingredients used in foodstuff meet the standards.

Action by mobile courts created some awareness about quality of foods

sold in Bangladesh in recent years. But there is controversy whether themobile court action was for publicity or for correction of sellers' conduct

the poor and the disadvantaged consumers are not aware of their rights.

Unlettered consumers remain the worst sufferers of food and commodityadulteration. They are cheated in quantity. Consumers also lose out due

to artificial price-hike. Lack of enforcement of the consumer rights

 protection law also makes the consumers losers.

The consumers have an inherent right to safety - to get the protection

 protect against hazardous goods, right to be informed - about price,

quality, purity and the right to choose. A competitive market can ensuretheir right to fair price. Right to be heard, right to seek redress, a

 protection against unfair trade practices and settlement of grievances,

right to consumer education, and awareness about goods and issues

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Availability of a variety of goods and services at competitive prices also

hel ps the consumer. They have the right to seek redresses against unfair trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation.

One the other hand, the seller has the right to sell goods. The buyer musthave quiet possession of the goods he buys. A third party should not get

the bills for the goods. Goods sold should match the description. If a

consumer relies on the seller's sk ill or judgement in specialised field, the

goods should reasonably serve that purpose. A product bought mustmatch the sample in quality. The goods should be of saleable quality,

except for discount sale of defective items in display. And the goods

should be new and unused, unless otherwise declared and agreed.

The services sold must be perfor med in a skilful and workmanlike

manner. Any agreement signed between a seller and a consumer givingaway any right is not enforceable. A warranty expressed in a contract or 

in promotional materials or any public statement should be considered to

 be part of a contract. The subsequently, the next user with the consent of 

original, should have same warr anty as original consumer without anyadditional service charge for transfer of right or anything else.

The consumer protection law in any country provides for the protection

of consumers. The law stipulates punishment, prevention andcompensation. It is intended to provide the consumer simple, speedy and

inexpensive redress to grievances, award relief and compensationwherever appropriate.

It is the responsibility of a consumer to take also some duties like gettinga bill for every important purchase, the warranty card and check the

(BSTI) standardisation mark. It helps make a complaint on solid ground.

And a consumer must now how to exercise his rights.

Common cheating by sellers include supplying less in weight and

measurements, substandard, defective date expired goods, charginghigher price etc. Selling of adulterated and duplicate products, lack of saf ety devices as per rule, artificial scarcity, black marketing, false and

incomplete information regarding quality, durability, and safety,

unsatisfactory after sales service are also among methods used by sellersto cheat consumers. They also cheat the consumers providing inadequate

inf ormation of goods and services and by manipulating supplies.

The governments has a vital role to protect the consumers in modernmarkets. In the areas of policymaking, legislation, updating the law, and

 building institutions and their ca pacity development for the enforcement

of consumer law are among the government's responsibilities.

A r esponsible government should also educate and create public

awareness through the media and conferences and seminars.

In the Bangladesh context, the government should reactivate the Trading

Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and create a consumers corporation

for public distribution system. The two bodies can go for local purchaseor imports for the purpose. The standards and testing institution needs to

 be strengthened to oversee product quality. It is also the responsibility of 

the government to interact with International Organisation for 

Standardisation (ISO), FAO and WHO for updating food standards.