Commerce Ministry issues show-cause letter to E-orange

Allegations of embezzling of Tk 1,100cr

Staff Correspondent:E-commerce platform ‘Eorange’ has been asked by the Commerce Ministry through a show-cause letter to submit detailed information of its assets.
Following multiple demonstrations by consumers, the ministry asked its Central Digital Commerce Cell to issue the letter on Tuesday.
The ministry has given the platform seven days to provide details of the company’s assets, liabilities, current capital holding, and its deficit to merchants as of July 31 this year.
The platform will also have to provide information on the number of pending orders customers are yet to receive despite paying in advance, as well as the amount of payment it had received from customers within the same period.
Earlier, one of the consumers had lodged a case against the platform with 37 others who testified against the owners of the platform.
As per the case file, Md Taherul Islam, like many others had ordered products from the platform and despite paying in advance did not get the product nor any refunds. Gift vouchers issued by the platform were also not redeemable, complained the consumer.
According to the case details, the owners of E-orange, Sonia Mehjabin, her husband Masukur Rahman, Amanullah, Bithi Akhter, and Kawser, stand accused of embezzling Tk 1,100 crore. A Dhaka court on Tuesday sent two owners of the online marketplace E-orange to jail rejecting their bail prayers in a case filed on charges of embezzlement of around Tk 1,100 crore.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakkar Siddique issued the order after Sonia Mehjabin and her husband Masukur Rahman surrendered before the court seeking bail in the case.
Sub-inspector Md Alamgir Hossain, general recording officer of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, confirmed the matter.