The draft of law on operation of courier services has been left on the shelves, allowing a large number of illegal courier companies to run their businesses in the country and abroad.
The draft law styled ‘Mailing Operator and Courier Service Development and Regulatory Authority Act’ has been pending with the Cabinet Division.
Sources at the Mailing Operator and Courier Service Licensing Authority said that they formulated the draft law between October 24, 2021 and July 18, 2022 and submitted it to the Cabinet Division.
After analysing the draft law, a subcommittee of the Cabinet Division held a meeting on the draft last year and asked the Mailing Operator and Courier Service Licensing Authority to incorporate some more provisions in it to make the law time- befitting. Sources at the licensing authority said that they again sent back the draft law to the
Cabinet Division. But the law has not yet been placed before the cabinet.
Section 28 of the proposed law stipulates that if anybody runs business without approval from the authorities concerned or renewal of licence, it will be considered as an offence.
As per the proposed law, the violator will face three-month jail or minimum Tk 75,000 to maximum Tk 5 lakh as fine or both.
Section 26 of the draft law states that if anyone tries to evade charge or makes attempt to show less charge, it will also be considered as an offence. The violator may face three-month sentence or minimum Tk 1 lakh to maximum Tk 5 lakh as fine or both.
Section 30 of the proposed draft says that if anyone takes licence of one category and operates business of other categories, he/she will be imprisoned for two months or minimum Tk 50,000 to maximum Tk 1 lakh as fine or both.
Many raise eyebrows as these unauthorised organisations are allegedly transporting documents and goods, or illegal items.
The Department of Narcotics Control on April 23 recovered a parcel filled with drugs items worth of over Tk 1 crore.
The parcel, containing six packets of kush, a mixture of ‘Tetrahydro cannibal’, nine chocolates and 10 pieces of cake made by cannabis, came to Directorate of Post from California of the United States of America.
Such incident is taking place often as a large number of illegal courier service companies are running business without licences.
According to the Post Office Act, 1898, each mailing operator and courier service organisation must be a member of an authorised mailing operator and courier service association.
A senior official of the Mailing Operator and Courier Service Licensing Authority told the Bangladesh Post that if the law is enacted, it will help address the problem.
“The activities of the domestic and overseas courier operators will be covered widely,” said the official.