The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) has formed an investigation team to unearth the reasons behind the hikes in prices of personal care toiletries products including soap, aromatic soap, detergent powder, toothpaste, shampoo and cleaner.
 
The members of the investigation team would visit the factories of the related companies and review the price of raw materials and other related expenditures.
 
Representatives from the Tariff Commission, ICMAB and Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) will accompany the investigation team during the visits to the factories.
 
If any abnormal thing is found behind the price hike, the Directorate would take legal action against the companies, the Director General of DNCRP AHM Shafiquzzaman said after chairing a meeting with the representatives of different personal homecare toiletries producing and marketing companies held at the office of the Directorate in the capital's Kawranbazar area.
 
He informed that they had convened the meeting to detect the price hike of various personal homecare products like soap, aromatic soap, detergent powder, toothpaste, shampoo and cleaner. 

Representatives from companies like ACI, Unilever, and Kallol Group were present at the meeting.
 
Shafiquzzaman said the toiletries companies had informed the meeting that the prices of such products have increased in the local market due to the price hike of raw materials in the global market, the high exchange rate of Taka against US dollars, increase in freight and transportation cost, and increase in production cost.
 
"We've given a patient hearing to the producing companies. The investigation team which has been formed will visit large factories and thus review the production cost, the reasons behind the price hike of such products," he added.
 
The Director General of the DNCRP said they would recommend the government based on the findings of the visits of the investigation team. 
 
BDST: 1952 HRS, SEP 07, 2022
MN/SMS