Evaly Executives Earn Enforced Sentences
A Dhaka court has sentenced Mohammad Rassel, Managing Director of the e-commerce platform Evaly, and his wife Shamima Nasrin, Chairperson of the company, to three years of rigorous imprisonment each. The court also imposed a fine of BDT 5,000 on each of them, with an additional six months of simple imprisonment in default of payment.
The verdict was delivered on Sunday (April 6) by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Minhajul Rahman.
Confirming the verdict, plaintiff’s lawyer Sakibul Islam said, "The accused are currently absconding. The court has issued both sentence and arrest warrants against them."
According to the case details, Evaly attracted customers through flashy advertisements and sold various products online. Among the buyers was Mujahid Hasan Fahim, who placed an order for a Yamaha R15 motorcycle on February 20, 2021, and made full payment. However, the company failed to deliver the motorcycle within the promised 45 days.
Upon contacting Evaly's Dhanmondi office, the plaintiff was issued a cheque worth BDT 500,000 by the accused. However, the accused requested him not to deposit the cheque due to insufficient funds in the account. Trusting their assurance, the plaintiff did not submit the cheque. Despite repeated follow-ups, he never received the motorcycle or a refund.
Legal notice was also served by the complainant, but it yielded no result. Eventually, in January 2024, Mujahid Hasan Fahim filed a case against Rassel and Nasrin in court.
The court's ruling marks a significant legal step in the growing scrutiny of Bangladesh’s e-commerce sector, which has faced criticism for fraudulent practices and customer exploitation in recent years.
