Stern action will be taken against e-commerce firms like Evaly and E-orange, said AKM Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

 “There’re many organisations like Evaly and E-orange which are involved in fraudulence. They’re involved in cheating on customers through offering prices lower than the market ones. Investigations are on and action will be taken after the investigations,” he said while speaking at a press briefing at DMP media centre on Saturday.

 “We want good e-commerce platforms to flourish in the country, but action will be taken those who indulge in cheating,” said Hafiz.

Also read: Evaly’s liabilities over Tk 1,000 crore

Evaly’s fraudulence

Evaly CEO Mohammad Rassel and his wife Shamima Nasrin were arrested after an aggrieved customer, Arif Baker, lodged a case with Gulshan police station accusing them and few other company executives of embezzlement and fraudulence.

Sub-inspector Ahidul Islam, the investigation officer of the case, said the case was registered over the allegation of embezzlement of money and fraudulence.

Besides, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), an arm of the Bangladesh Bank that specializes in financial crime investigations, directed all the commercial banks and financial institutions through a common letter on August 27 to freeze all the bank accounts operated by top executives of Evaly.

The Directorate of National Consumer Right Protection, a department under the Commerce Ministry, received allegations from consumers about “cheating” by Evaly.

Bangladesh Bank officials said one of the major allegations against Evaly is forcing its consumers to deposit their money in the e-wallet of the firm which was totally illegal.

Also read: Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others land in jail

E-orange

On September 2, a Dhaka court sent virtual outlet e-orange.shop owner Sonia Mehzabin, her husband Masukur Rahman and, Chief Operating Officer, Aman Ullah to jail in a fraud case filed over embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers.

Earlier on August 23, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan placed the accused on a 5-day remand in the fraud case.

On August 17, the court sent them to jail rejecting their bail prayers when they surrendered to Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abubakar Siddique's court.

On August 16, an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md, Taherul Islam, filed a fraud case with Gulshan police in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused.