The National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate’s director general, Muhammad Alim Akhtar Khan, has issued a warning: there would be harsh penalties if edible oil is purchased with other goods as a condition.

He made this statement on Sunday morning, February 16, during a view-sharing session held at TCB Bhaban in the capital’s Karwan Bazar.

According to Akhtar Khan, the market is providing consumers with incentives to purchase a variety of goods, such as rice, flour, tea leaves, and oil. There has also been proof of this. However, it is being denied by oil refining businesses. We will penalize the businesses and dealers if we observe this in the market.

He also said that the current situation in the market is delicate regarding soybean oil. In terms of oil, we are dependent on six refining companies. There has been instability in the market regarding oil for the past four months.

In this exchange of views held to keep the price stable and supply normal on the occasion of the holy Ramadan, the director of the consumer, Fakir Mohammad Monowar Hossain, said that the truth of giving oil along with the condition has been found after observing various markets in the capital.

At the meeting, the president of the Edible Oil Owners Association, Golam Maula, said, “We must eliminate mud-slinging. Companies bring oil and refine it, and we sell it. For several years, the Ministry of Tariff and Commerce have been fixing the price together. If necessary, they fix the price again, but even then the market is still stable.”

Regarding the consumer investigation, Abu Taher, general secretary of the New Market, said, “There is no five-liter oil in the market. If you ask for five cartons, you are given one carton. If you give oil, you are given the condition of buying other products including polava rice, flour, salt, tea leaves, etc.”

Owners of edible oil mills, leaders of the Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Bonaspati Manufacturers Association, leaders of the Bangladesh Wholesale Edible Oil Traders Association, retail edible oil traders, the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, and representatives from other pertinent departments and organizations attended the conference.