File photo

DHAKA, March 10, 2025 (BSS) - The High Court (HC) today issued nine 
directives for online business platforms to conduct their operations in the 
country.
 
A High Court division bench of Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM 
Masud Hossain Dolon passed the order, disposing of a rule issued over the 
reopening of the showroom "Sanvee's by Tony" owned by Rubaiyat Fatema Tony, a 
woman entrepreneur.
 
The directives are:
 
1. Everyone must abide by the laws prevailing in Bangladesh. The relationship 
between owners and consumers must be properly maintained online.
 
2. In the event of a law violation in the online business process, the 
affected party will be entitled to equal legal protection.
 
3. Every citizen has the right to operate a legal business and his business 
cannot be closed without due legal process.
 
4. The Directorate of National Consumers' Rights Protection must take steps 
to register all online traders and provide them with proper approval.
 
5. It must be ensured that no one can operate or start an online business 
without authorization. In particular, strict monitoring must be done to 
ensure that no clothing merchant can make copies of foreign genuine products 
and sell them as genuine products.
 
6. Legal measures must ensure that all online business entrepreneurs, 
administrators, and consumers are verified with national identity cards.
 
7. Relevant government regulatory agencies, such as BTRC, will coordinate 
with online e-commerce platforms to store information about online 
businesses.
 
8. The relevant authorities should conduct widespread campaigns to warn 
consumers not to purchase products from fraudulent or untrustworthy online 
merchants and not to purchase products from unregistered or unauthorized 
online stores or suppliers.
 
9. Legal action should be taken against fraudulent online traders by adding 
necessary provisions to the Consumers' Rights Protection Act, 2009.
 
The Directorate of National Consumers' Rights Protection had brought down the 
shutter of the Gulshan showroom "Sanvee's by Tony", making the owner file a 
writ with the High Court. 

Later, the court issued a rule over reopening the showroom.