Bangladesh Competition Commission was formed four years ago to create a fair competitive environment in the market. But the commission could not start yet. Even the concerned people do not know anything about the exact time of its beginning.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, competing laws were enacted in 2012 and after that Bangladesh Competition Commission was formed in the same year. In 2015, the government appointed a chairman and two members of the commission. But the funding rules of the commission are not established yet. Even officers and employees for the remaining 76 posts of the Commission were not recruited. Recently because of the instability of the rice market, questions regarding the Competition Commission have aroused once again.  

In the budget speech of the fiscal year 2017-18, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said, ‘Competition Commission has been formed to control the tendency of destabilizing the market through conspiracy involvement and unethical alliances and to ensure fair prices of the goods. I hope that this commission will play a role in controlling the market and fair prices.’ But this statement of the Finance Minister contradicts the present situation of the Competition Commission.

Enamul Haque, Economist and Professor of Economics at Eastwest University, told the Bangla Tribune, ‘The task of the commission is to prevent the monopoly in the market.  as the rules regarding its funding are not established yet, it is unable to function its activities .’    

Competition Commission chairman and former Additional Secretary Iqbal Khan Chowdhury told the Bangla Tribune, ‘We need more time to establish the commission fully. Yet we are working on it.’

Regarding the ‘Competition Commission Fund Rules – 2017’ Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said, ‘The chairman and the members of the commission are working to launch the commission quickly.’

The Competition Commission was found to ensure a fair competitive environment in the market by preventing monopoly and oligopoly. The commission can apply the same power which is given to a civil court under Code of Producer-1908 (Act-5 of 1908).