The Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection (DNCRP) has formed a committee to return customers' Tk 127 crore stuck in payment gateways since the detection of fraudulence by some e-commerce platforms during the pandemic.

The platforms had offered hefty discounts to lure unsuspecting customers to make advance payments of thousands of crores of taka.

In 2022, the central bank identified 25 online sellers, including Evaly, E-orange, Qcoom, Dhamaka, Aladinerprodip, Sirajganj Shop, Alesha Mart, and Dalal Plus that received a staggering Tk 6,050 crore in just four months from clients through payment gateways and banks.

Most of the customers who were defrauded have not received their products or refunds yet.

The process of returning money to the customers started in January 2022.

Around Tk 407 crore which was stuck in payment gateways has already been returned, AHM Shafiquzzaman, director general of the DNCRP, told journalists at the directorate's head office yesterday.

The new committee will figure out how to return the remaining Tk 127 crore soon, he said after a review meeting regarding the settlement of complaints received against e-commerce companies.

"There is no trace of companies like E-orange and Dhamaka Shopping," he said, adding that Dhamaka has laundered more than Tk 200 crore abroad.

"That is why it is not possible for the DNCRP to solve the problems of such organisations," he added.

Shafiquzzaman said most people who were in charge of these companies were now fugitives living abroad.

If they can be brought back through Interpol, it may be possible to resolve some of the issues, he added.

Addressing the event, Mohammad Rassel, CEO of controversial e-commerce platform Evaly, admitted to making many mistakes in the past.

"But after learning from them, I returned to business. Customers are now ordering again. About Tk 50 lakh has been refunded so far. The remaining amount will also be refunded," he said.