Dhaka: The government is going to enact the Courier Service Act with the provision of jail and fine if the price list of the service is not displayed in an easily visible place in all branch offices including the head office of the mailing operator and courier service organization.
In these offences, in addition to imprisonment for three months or a fine not exceeding 75 thousand taka or both, receiving or transporting any cash or foreign currency inside a parcel or packet using a mail or courier service license, six months imprisonment or a minimum fine of one lakh to ten lakh taka or both Penalties have been laid down.
The bill named ‘Bangladesh Mailing Operators and Courier Service Development and Efficient Regulatory Authority Act, 2023’ was proposed to be discussed and amended in the relevant branch of the Cabinet Department at the Secretariat on Sunday. This information was revealed in the letter signed by Abu Hena Morshed Zaman, Secretary of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.
According to the draft law, no mailing operator and courier service organization can receive, sort, store, transport and deliver prohibited goods, weapons, narcotics etc. If the law is violated, the provision of district-fine has been kept.
It shall be an offense for a person to operate a business establishment without a license or using an expired license and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not less than one lakh to not more than ten lakhs or to both.
If the service price list is not displayed at any easily visible place in all branch offices including the head office of the mailing operator and courier service organization, it will be an offense and the person concerned will be punished with imprisonment not exceeding three months or a fine not exceeding 75 thousand taka or both.
Any person keeping or proposing to keep more than the value prescribed under this Act or rules shall be guilty of an offense and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 months or to a fine not exceeding 30 thousand rupees or to both.
It shall be an offense to receive or transport any cash or foreign currency in a parcel or packet using a license under this Act and the person concerned shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding one lakh taka to a maximum of taka 10 lakh or to both. .
If a person fails to deposit the service charge due to the Government within the stipulated time, it shall be an offense and for this he shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding 1 month or with fine not less than 30 thousand taka or not more than 75 thousand taka or with both.
It shall be an offense for any person to fraudulently understate or evade service charges and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine which may extend to a minimum of one lakh taka and a maximum of five lakh taka or to both.
If a person takes a closed packet or parcel during booking, it shall be an offense and shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding two months or with fine not less than 20 thousand to not more than 50 thousand or with both.
It shall be an offense for a person to carry on business through an agency without obtaining and renewing the permission of the authority and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine which may extend to a minimum of Tk 75,000 to a maximum of Tk 5 lakh or to both.
It shall be an offense for any person to carry on business as an agent of any mailing operator or courier service company without permission to appoint an agent and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two months or to a fine not exceeding 30,000 taka and not exceeding 75,000 taka or to both.
If a person carries on a business of another class besides the class of business for which he has obtained a licence, or by changing the class and carries on another class of business, it shall be an offense and punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding two months or with a fine not less than 50 thousand and not more than 1 lakh. or shall be punished with both penalties.
If any person convicted of an offense mentioned in this Act commits the same offense again, he shall be punished with double the maximum penalty prescribed for that offence.
According to the draft, an authority called ‘Mailing Operators and Courier Service Development and Regulation Authority’ will be established through the law. The Authority is a statutory body and shall have power and initiative to acquire, hold and transfer, enter into contracts and perform other functions, both immovable and immovable, subject to the provisions of law. The head office of the authority will be in Dhaka. However, the authorities can set up regional or branch offices at any other place in Bangladesh with the prior approval of the government if necessary.
The Authority shall have a Chairman, who shall be the Joint Secretary to the Government appointed by the Government and shall be the Chief Executive of the Authority. The Authority shall have three members, who shall be of the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government or other appointed by the Government. One of the members shall be an officer of the Department of Posts, but if an officer of the Department of Posts is not available, the Government may appoint or depute an officer in his place.
The Authority may, for the purposes of this Act, prescribe the issue of licences, classification of licences, mode of issuance, conditions of licences, cancellation and revocation for the operation of mailing and courier services. No mailing operator and courier service company shall conduct any kind of business activities with any government or private authority, organization or person without the permission of the authority.
Any licensed Mailing Operator and Courier Service Institution may conduct Mailing and Courier business by appointing agents after obtaining Agency Permit subject to compliance with the conditions prescribed by the Authority. However, no agent can appoint a sub-agent.
No court shall take any case under this Act for trial except on the written complaint of the Chairman of the Judicial Authority or any authorized officer. Offenses under this Act are triable before a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class or, as the case may be, a Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.
Bangladesh Time: 1031 hours, November 12, 2023
MIH
Tags: Transporting cash courier services
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