In a shocking turn of events, the Bangladeshi e-commerce landscape has been marred by a massive fraud scandal involving millions of taka, primarily affecting platforms like Evaly and Alesha Mart, which were once leaders in the apparel and fashion sector. These companies stand accused of defrauding thousands of customers, leaving many without refunds or recourse.
As of November, the Central E-Commerce Cell reported that Evaly managed to refund only Taka 15 crore to 12,940 customers, while Alesha Mart returned Taka 40 crore to just 2,296 customers. These amounts are trivial compared to the staggering estimated Taka 6,000 crore in unaccounted transactions, highlighting the scale of the crisis.
The Ministry of Commerce’s attempts to trace these funds have been met with limited success, having obtained financial data from only 35 companies. Notably Bangladesh Bank identified 56 accounts linked to Alesha Mart, revealing deposits exceeding Taka 2,000 crore, with almost all of it withdrawn. Meanwhile, Evaly processed over Taka 4,000 crore through mobile banking, but accurate transaction details remain elusive.
Customer refunds across the e-commerce sector have been insufficient, with only 15 companies collectively refunding Taka 423.41 crore to 65,879 customers as of November. Qcom led the way with Taka 343.15 crore refunded to 44,018 customers. In stark contrast, refunds from Evaly and Alesha Mart remain disproportionately low and largely stem from funds held in payment gateways, rather than company resources.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that many executives from these companies have gone missing or fled the country. For instance, Sohel Rana, the sponsor of E-Orange and a former police inspector, reportedly escaped to India. Evaly briefly resumed operations after some executives were released on bail, promising to refund customers by 2026, but those promises have yet to materialize. The company’s Managing Director, Mohammad Rassel, has become unreachable, with his phone switched off and no official updates provided.
A Commerce Ministry official expressed deep concern over the lack of progress in addressing customer dues and initiating meaningful refund efforts. Attempts to contact Evaly’s Managing Director for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone and WhatsApp remained inactive.
