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A new law to regulate mailing and courier services is in its final stage, with provisions of fines up to Tk 1.0 million or three months' jail for money laundering.
The proposed 'Mailing Operator and Courier Service Development and Control Authority Act-2022' has been made entailing various subsections of the two sectors.
The Mailing Operators and Courier Services Licensing Authority under the Post and Telecommunication Division has sought stakeholders' opinion on the draft law before finalising it.
It has added a provision for three months jail or financial penalty of Tk 1.0 million for operating such services without licence or its expiry.
Mailing operators and courier services will be fined a maximum of Tk 0.5 million or jail for three months if they evade or hide actual service charges. They will face legal action, including one month's jail for overcharging clients by breaching fixed prices.
In case of receiving any packet or parcel of prohibited products, arms and drags, such operators will face stern action under the Narcotics Control Act-2018 for distributing and transporting contrabands.
They will not be able to do other category business by using their courier/mailing licences.
The new law will help remove obstacles in the local mailing operators and couriers, sources said.
It will also ensure transparency and accountability among the operators of the two sectors.
When asked, Courier Services Association of Bangladesh president Hafizur Rahman Pulok said courier services will come under law with intent to bring discipline.
Experts concerned, however, said punitive measures proposed in the draft for breaching rules and regulations are negligible, calling for a review of fines and jail term.
Mailing operators except government post service providing mailing and delivery services, parcel, logistic, delivery, courier and express service are included in the sector.
Universal postal services are not included in the sector.
Courier services are the operators providing mailing services to any individual/company in exchange of money.
The authority will fix fees, service charges, any other fees, issue licences and approve any agency.
It will also prepare a guideline aiming to improve the quality of service by the sectors.
A source concerned said courier service is getting expanded but in an uncontrolled manner.
Hundreds of such services operating in the country without licence could not be brought under existing law for lack of necessary provisions, he added.
Amid rapid growth of privately-owned courier companies, the 'Mailing Operator and Courier Service Rules-2013' was adopted in November 2013, and the Mailing Operator and Courier Service Authority was established in February 2014.
An earlier investigation found that hundreds of unlicensed courier services have sprung up Motijheel, Dilkusha and Paltan areas.
An administrative official of the licensing authority said they could not punish unlicensed companies as the rule does not have options for punishment.
Now, a new law is underway to regulate errant and unlicensed mailing operators and courier services with a legal provision, he added.
More than 500 courier services are operating illegally in Bangladesh. Of them, 161 are members of the association and 80 out of them registered with it, a source said.
The market size of the courier sector is more than Tk 70 billion, according to the association.