User talk:117.18.231.22/an analysis of consumer structure and activities of bangladesh

CAB activities include organisation of seminars, workshops, and group meetings, street processions, distribution of posters and leaflets, and publication of features in newspapers on environmental pollution and degradation as well as on safe road and transport systems. A routine activity of CAB is the formation and development of consumer for expansion of consumer movement at the division, district, thana and peripheral levels. These groups keep liaison with the national level and deal with consumer education and motivation and handle local consumer problems and issues.

CAB runs a Complaint Centre to receive complaints from consumers and extends technical and legal support to them for redress. With a view to keeping the consumers informed about the daily market situation and other consumer issues and problems CAB runs a Consumer Information Centre, which has a small library attached to it. It conducts studies on important consumer issues such as commodity prices, use of BMS in hospitals and clinics, tobacco consumption, road accidents, violation of BMS ordinance, drug abuse and the like. It has been looking for the formulation of consumer protection laws in the country for a long time.

CAB now concentrates its activities in the districts of dhaka, chittagong, sylhet, mymensingh, gazipur, manikganj, bogra, khulna and barisal but has plans to expand the activities in other districts of the country, too. Some of the achievements of CAB are as follows:

The Milk Vita Company used to mix imported powder milk with cows milk and then market it as the cows milk. CAB exposed this malpractice, following which the company had to change its policy;

CAB created considerable awareness among the people about harmful and unnecessary drugs long before the enactment of the National Drug Policy, which after being formulated, was popularised by CAB through a vigorous campaign;

Since 1984, CAB has been conducting campaigns for the promotion and protection of breast feeding and has been an advocate for enactment and implementation of Bangladesh Breast Feeding Substitutes (marketing regulation) Ordinance, 1984;

CAB was instrumental in the declaration of the Code of Pesticide Marketing and assisted in the creation of a committee to evaluate price situation, in the re-organisation of the Bangladesh Standard Institute and publication of lists for standard certificates, and in creation of a committee to assess the adulteration position in edible oils;

CAB was instrumental in the re-organisation of the government's Environmental Pollution Control Department.

The anti-tobacco campaign by CAB resulted in the introduction of warning against hazardous effects of smoking in cigarette advertisements; and

CAB has been recognised as representative of consumers in numerous committees (both government and non-government) formed on different issues and subjects.

CAB, however, faces a number of constraints such as inadequacy of funds, and a relatively slow response from communities and population groups that prevent consumer movement from gaining a solid ground, and a general weakness of consumers in terms of their awareness level and bargaining strength in purchases. CAB's success, therefore, remains minimal as their programmes often go against the interest of the business community, who enjoys near monopoly and has the opportunity to organise syndicated trade.