Dhaka: The High Court has issued a rule asking why the money stuck in the payment gateway when buying goods from an e-commerce company will not be returned to the customers. Defendants in the case have been asked to respond.
Monday (November 1) with a preliminary hearing of a writ petition. The High Court bench comprising Justice Md. Mujibur Rahman Mia and Kamrul Hossain Mollah issued the rule.
Barrister Sabrina Jerin and M Abdul Qayyum did hearing in favor of the writ petition. On the other hand, Deputy Attorney General Nowroz Raussel Chowdhury was on behalf of the state.
A writ petition was filed in the High Court on October 21 to return the money stuck in the payment gateway to the customers of several e-commerce companies. It was filed by Barrister Sabrina Jerin on behalf of the Conscious Consumers Society (CCS). In his writ petition, the concerned persons including Bangladesh Bank, Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, bKash, Nagad Authority were made defendants.
Four days before the writ petition was filed, the consumer rights body CCS sent legal notices to seven organizations, including Bangladesh Bank and the Commerce Ministry, to return the money stuck at the e-commerce payment gateway. However, the writ was filed without getting an answer.
On July 1 this year, Bangladesh Bank launched 'Escrow Service Payment Gateway'. Through this, after the customer receives the product, the price of the product is paid to the e-commerce company. The system was introduced to prevent customers from being deceived by e-commerce companies.
It is learned that about Tk. 214 crore, which was paid in advance but the goods were not delivered, is deposited in the escrow payment gateway.