Bangladesh to integrate Unique Business Identity and digital ID for ecommerce companies

The Bangladeshi government will roll out a Unique Business Identity (UBI) under a new Central Complaint Management System (CCMS) to stem the tide of fraud and tackle consumer complaints.

State Minister of ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that the Ministry of Commerce, with technical support from the ICT Division, will oversee the initiative. Palak noted that consumers have filed a large number of grievances with the Directorate of Consumers’ Rights Protection, even though these online retailers employ just 150 people nationwide.

The UBI system will launch in February starting with ecommerce companies, which will have to register with the UBI system to continue running their online operations. “We advise the customers to purchase products from only verified companies to avoid fraudulence,” said Palak. “Anyone can register a business with the UBI system giving relevant information with national identity card number.”

Palak acknowledged that fraud cases have shaken public confidence in ecommerce. To tackle these challenges, the government has mapped out four measures. First, every digital business will register and verify its details through the UBI, which goes live in February alongside the second measure — the CCMS pilot.

Third, in March the Interoperable Digital Transaction Platform (IDTP) will launch, enabling seamless money transfers between banks and mobile financial services. The fourth solution sees the launch of the Postal Division’s Central Logistic Tracking Platform (CLTP) which will require all couriers to scan parcels at each handover, allowing customers to track deliveries online. If the Postal Division misses its deadline, the ICT Division will build and hand over the system within seven days.

Companies must hold a digital ID to operate online. Consumers are being urged to purchase only from verified vendors to avoid scams. Businesses can register for a UBI by submitting their national ID number, with the system linked directly to the Porichoy identity gateway.

Anir Chowdhury, policy advisor at the A2i programme, explained that consumer rights hearings can be conducted virtually through the CCMS. Rezwanul Haque Jami, head of ecommerce at A2i, said UBI registration will be mandatory for all internet-based businesses and brings them all under single point monitoring in collaboration with all regulatory bodies.

The announcement came at a meeting chaired by ICT Division senior secretary NM Zeaul Alam and attended by Saeed Ali, joint secretary at the Commerce Ministry; Bikash Chandra Das, deputy director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection; and Zia Ashraf, director of e-Cab.

Article Topics

Bangladesh  |  digital company ID  |  digital identity  |  ecommerce  |  fraud prevention  |  identity verification  |  KYB