Consumer Complaints and Compensation

What this covers

This page is for anyone searching for a consumer rights complaint to DNCRP (ভোক্তা অধিকার অভিযোগ), a refund from an online shop or compensation for a harmful product or service. The Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 lists anti-consumer practices, such as selling above the fixed price, adulteration, false advertising, short weight, sale of expired goods and deceiving customers, and gives the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) power to hear complaints and impose administrative fines. Criminal prosecution and a civil claim for compensation are separate routes with their own rules.

Complaint to DNCRP

A written complaint must be made to the Director General or an authorised officer within 30 days of the cause of action. It can be submitted in person at the Dhaka head office or a district office, by email or online through the directorate’s complaint system, and the consumer hotline 16121 takes complaints and gives guidance. Include your name, address and phone number, the seller’s details and proof such as the receipt, invoice, order screenshot or product. After a hearing the directorate can impose a fine, and where a fine is realised the Act gives 25 per cent of it to the complainant.

Criminal case and civil compensation

Offences under the Act are prosecuted only on a written complaint by the Director General or an officer the directorate authorises, so a consumer cannot file a criminal case under this Act directly in the Magistrate’s court. Separately, a consumer who has suffered loss can sue in the civil court for compensation; the Act caps compensation at five times the actual loss.

E-commerce, medical and service complaints

Undelivered orders, fake products and refunds refused by online sellers can be raised with DNCRP, which handles a large share of e-commerce complaints, and the Digital Commerce Guidelines set delivery and refund duties for sellers. Complaints about doctors’ professional negligence or misconduct can be made to the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council, and serious injury may support a criminal case or a civil suit for damages. Complaints about banks, mobile financial services and insurers have their own regulators, covered on our Banking and Financial Disputes page.

What helps

• Receipt, invoice, cash memo or online order confirmation
• Payment proof: card slip, bank statement or mobile wallet transaction ID
• Photos or video of the product, label, expiry date or defect
• Screenshots of the advertisement, listing and chat with the seller
• Medical reports or repair estimates if you suffered injury or loss

Where it is handled, and how long it takes

Administrative complaints are heard by DNCRP at its head office in Dhaka or at divisional and district offices, usually after notice to both sides and a hearing. Many are decided within weeks to a few months. Criminal cases under the Act go to the Magistrate on the directorate’s complaint. Compensation suits are filed in the civil court with territorial and pecuniary jurisdiction and take considerably longer.