Seminar on Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009: Responsibilities of Students and Youth’ held at Premier University Chattogram,

06 May 2026 | 12: 35 pm

Chattogram, Mayor, City Corporation Dr. Shahadat Hossain said that Chattogram City Corporation is working to create a green, healthy, and sustainable city. However, haphazardly throwing trash from shops, drains, and gutters has turned the entire city into a heap of garbage. Even though eviction drives are carried out by the City Corporation, people immediately return and set up shop there again. As a result, the activities of the City Corporation are not achieving the desired success. Similarly, when people suffer from stomach ailments, food is generally blamed. Food is just a symptom; many other factors are involved. People remain silent when they suffer from adulterated food. Consequently, the entire city has become a paradise for adulterated food. Those who are affected do not protest. The ‘Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009’ is not just a law; it is a powerful tool to establish the rightful rights of ordinary people. Everyone must come forward to use this law to uphold people’s rights. Referring to the organization of the seminar as timely, he said that formalin-treated fruits, food prepared with adulterated oil in various restaurants, and rotten or stale food make the body diseased and destroy health. To maintain good health, it is essential to consume healthy food. He emphasizes the enforcement of the law, public awareness, and unity of the people if necessary to prevent adulteration in food. Highlighting the need for such seminars to build a pure and corruption-free Bangladesh, he says, I believe that such meetings and seminars will awaken a sense of responsibility among the youth and they will be able to bring positive change in society.

On Monday, 04 May 2026, at a seminar titled ‘Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009: What Students and Youth Should Do’ organized jointly by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Chattogram, Youth CAB Chattogram Metropolitan, and the Law Department of Premier University at the central auditorium of Premier University, the above remarks were made. 

The city mayor further said that traders, driven by the greed for excessive profit, are adulterating food, while on the other hand, they are creating shortages of daily necessities by holding people hostage. Therefore, apart from imparting knowledge about ethics at the educational institution level, dishonest traders must be socially boycotted. Ensuring the proper implementation of laws enacted to safeguard consumer rights is now the demand of the time. He said that to bring transparency in market management and to ensure fair rights for consumers, all relevant parties must work together.

Under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor of Premier University, Professor S. M. Nasrul Qadir, and with the youth CAB Chattogram Metropolitan President Abu Hanif presiding, the seminar featured presentations by Mr. Foyez Ullah, Divisional Deputy Director of the National Consumer Rights Protection Department, Ahmed Rajib Chowdhury, Assistant Professor of the Law Department at Premier University, and Farhan Islam, District Safe Food Officer. The discussion participants included Premier University’s Treasurer Professor Dr. Zahed Hossain Sikder, CAB Central Committee Vice President S M Nazer Hossain, Chairman of Premier University Law Department Professor Anup Kumar Biswas, Youth CAB Chattogram University President Md. Rozain Al Rafi, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Law Tanjina Alam Chowdhury, Associate Professor Hillol Saha, and Sanchoy Biswas, who will deliver welcome remarks at the event.

In his speech, the Vice-Chancellor of Premier University, Professor S. M. Nasrul Kadir, highlighted the adulteration present in everyday food and fruits in our country and its severity. He said that protecting and implementing consumer rights is extremely important for building a healthy society. Educational institutions are not just places for imparting knowledge, but also for creating conscious citizens. If our students progress with morality and a sense of responsibility, exploitation and fraud in society will be significantly reduced.

In his special guest speech, Treasurer Professor Dr. Zahed Hossain Sikdar highlighted the significance of this seminar and said that to bring transparency in the market system, it is not enough to rely solely on administration; citizens must also be responsible. An aware consumer is never a victim of fraud; instead, they make others aware as well. 

Mohammad Faiz Ullah, Divisional Deputy Director of the National Consumer Rights Protection Department-Chattogram, said that the main objective of the Consumer Protection Act is to provide protection to consumers from fraud, adulteration, and dishonest business practices. However, in practical implementation, there are many challenges, where the role of aware citizens is extremely important.

Associate Professor Ahmad Rajib Chowdhury of the Law Department at Premier University said, pointing out various limitations of the Consumer Rights Act, that the law is effective only when people are aware of it. Students should know the basic aspects of the law and assist in its application when necessary. The power of change lies within the youth. 

Chittagong District Safe Food Officer Mr. Mohammad Farhan Islam said that ensuring safe food is not solely the responsibility of the government; it is possible through the combined efforts of producers, sellers, and consumers. Adulteration in food is a serious social problem, against which a social movement needs to be built.

In the seminar, the welcome speech was delivered by Anup Kumar Biswas, Chairman of the Law Department of Premier University, who said that in the present consumer-dependent society, it is impossible to protect rights without awareness. If students acquire knowledge about consumer rights from now, they will be able to play an important role in establishing justice in society in the future. This seminar is an important step towards that awareness. 

S M Nazer Hossain, Vice President of the Central Committee of CAB, said that consumers in Bangladesh are the most helpless and unorganized group, with no one to stand by them. As a result, even though there is a groundbreaking law like the Consumer Rights Protection Act, it is not enforced. Those who come to government tend to end up under the influence of businesses. He urged the youth of the country to come forward to establish an equitable society and protect consumer rights, similar to the mass uprising of 2024. 

The seminar was attended by more than two hundred participants, including teachers and students of Premier University, members of the Proctorial Body, young representatives from various organizations, teachers, and conscious citizens.