Suppliers to Dhamaka Shopping today claimed the e-commerce platform owes Tk 200 crore to merchants.

They share the number at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity.

Jahangir Alam Emon, president of the Dhamakashopping.com Sellers' Association, said as per the agreement, about 650 entrepreneurs had been supplying 2,000 types of products to the online platform since December 2020.

The agreement with Invariant Telecom Bangladesh Ltd, the owning company of Dhamaka Shopping, clearly stated that it would pay the dues within 10 working days after supplying the goods, he said in a written statement.

"But sadly, those 10 days have now become 160 working days. Despite repeated requests, Dhamaka authorities are not cooperating with the sellers."

Replying to a question, he said customers were yet to receive products worth Tk 100 crore.

"As young and SME traders, we have been running businesses by borrowing money from relatives and banks. Now, we are on our way to go broke," said Baharul Alam, joint general secretary of the platform.

According to the written statement, they applied to various ministries and the central bank from July to September to receive the dues, but the efforts went in vain.

At the press conference, it was claimed that most of the sellers had not been issued cheques despite requesting Jashimuddin Chisty, managing director of Invariant Telecom, and other senior figures of the company and Dhamaka Shopping multiple times.

Baharul Islam, vice-president of the forum, the government should take necessary steps to refund the dues to sellers and provide goods to customers.

"If the problem is not solved, we'll take legal actions."