The High Court has directed the government to take appropriate legal action against all kinds of syndicates and hoarders of daily essential commodities, including soybean oil.
The government bodies concerned have been asked to submit a compliance report in this regard by April 26.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Moniruzzaman issued the order on Tuesday (March 15) following a writ petition.
Advocate Syed Mohidul Kabir and Syeda Nasrin appeared for the writ petition, while Deputy Attorney General Pratikar Chakma represented the state.
Besides, the higher court issued a rule upon the government bodies to explain why the failure of the respondents to prevent illegal syndication business by increasing the prices of essential commodities more than the government fixed rate shall not be declared illegal.
It also asked the government bodies to explain why the Bangladesh Competition Commission shall not be directed to find out and take appropriate legal action against the perpetrators who are responsible for illegal syndication business and making the market unstable.
The HC bench wanted to know in the rule as to why the inaction and failure of the Directorate of the National Consumer Rights Protection in taking remedial measures for protecting the consumers’ rights shall not be declared illegal.
The bench also issued a rule enquiring why necessary regulation would not be made in the light of Section 21 (1) of the Competition Act, 2012 in order to prevent such syndication business.
It asked why daily essentials such as rice, pulse, oil, sugar, flour, onion cannot be included in the Open Market System (OMS) policy and sold through ration cards.
The Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Home, the Ministry of Food, the Bangladesh Competition Commission, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) have been asked to comply with the rule.
Earlier on March 3, three lawyers brought the issue of the skyrocketing prices of soybean oil to the notice of the High Court. On that day, the High Court bench advised the lawyers to file a writ petition in due course.
Later, on March 6, the lawyers filed the writ petition with the High Court as public interest litigation, seeking the higher court’s directive to form a monitoring cell and enact policy to control the skyrocketing prices of soybean oil.
The lawyers are, Advocate Syed Mohidul Kabir, Advocate Monir Hossain and Advocate Mohammad Ullah. They moved for the issue following a media report published about the price hike of soybean oil.
According to the report, a syndicate of unscrupulous traders in Bangladesh has raised the price of soybean oil at an unusual rate, taking advantage of the Russia-Ukraine war. People are experiencing untold suffering due to the price hike of soybean oil and other commodities.
During the hearing, the court asked the state lawyer to bring the perpetrators to the perimeter of the law. “When you strictly act against them (perpetrators) they will then not be able to show such courage,” the court observed.
Earlier on March 13, the HC bench in the hearing said that the month of Ramzan is closed at hand. The syndicate can create an artificial crisis of daily essential commodities.
