The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has demanded strict legal action against those responsible for obstructing a government market drive and for hiking the prices of essential commodities without justification.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the consumer rights body strongly protested the incident that took place during a monitoring drive at Moulvibazar in the capital.

According to the statement, a team led by Abdul Jabbar Mondal, Assistant Director of the National Consumer Rights Protection Department’s Dhaka Divisional Office, conducted the drive on Wednesday. During the drive, inspectors found that the price of lentils had been increased by Tk 5 per kg within just 10 days at a trading establishment.

When asked to explain the price hike, the traders claimed higher procurement costs but failed to produce any valid cash memos in support of their claim. They reportedly admitted that goods were purchased on credit and cash memos were collected only after payment was made following sales — a practice that violates existing laws and undermines market transparency.

In this connection, the authorities fined the establishment Tk 5,000 under Section 45 of the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009.

However, CAB alleged that Mohammad Ali Bhuiyan, president of the Moulvibazar Traders’ Association, publicly refused to pay the fine and mobilised traders, announcing a shutdown of shops. He was also accused of inciting others and creating obstruction to the government operation.

CAB said unjustified price hikes of essentials, failure to maintain proper cash memo documentation and resistance to official monitoring drives reflect disorder in market management and anti-consumer practices.

The organisation called for exemplary punishment for those involved in price manipulation and obstruction of official duties, strict enforcement of mandatory cash memo issuance and stronger, regular market monitoring to ensure transparency and accountability.

It also urged the authorities concerned to take swift and effective steps to safeguard consumers’ rights and uphold good governance in the market system.