Consumer rights agency penalises controversial doctor Jahangir Kabir’s firm Tk 0.35m

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection has fined a firm owned by Jahangir Kabir, a controversial doctor who made unsubstantiated claims about Covid-19 and other diseases repeatedly on social media, reports bdnews24.com.

The agency had warned Ultimate Organic Life, based in Dhaka’s Aftabnagar, against irregularities before imposing a Tk 350,000 fine on the firm during a drive on Wednesday.

“We visited the organisation as part of a routine check to see what correctional steps they have taken,” said Monjur Mohammad Shahriar, a director of the DNCRP.

The official did not reveal the irregularities found at Ultimate Organic Life, which runs a website to sell so-called “organic products”.

Jahangir was not immediately available for comment.

The doctor published a series of videos on Facebook and YouTube to advertise the products of Ultimate Organic Life. He boasts 2.8 million followers on Facebook and 1.97 million subscribers on YouTube. He also runs a healthcare facility called Health Revolution where he and his associates see patients.

But several associations of doctors have condemned Jahangir’s practices and formally complained against him, alleging his unconventional advice misled and harmed patients.

Jahangir is known for campaigning for a ketogenic diet that reduces carbohydrate intake and replaces it with fat, putting the human body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Many doctors said it was malpractice because he never warned patients of the possible dangers of the meal plan.