Bank Asia today suspended transactions with 10 local e-commerce platforms using its credit, debit and pre-paid ATM cards. 

The 10 companies are: Evaly, Alesha Mart, Dhamaka, E-orange, Siranjgaonj Shop, Aladiner Prodip, Qcoom, Boom Boom, Adyen Mart and Needs.

The move came after Brac Bank had earlier yesterday suspended transactions with the same 10 e-commerce sites, citing allegations raised by hundreds of customers of some e-commerce platforms of not getting products on time after paying in advance through cards.

According to Bank Asia's authorities' notice to customers, the suspension has been enforced due to technical reasons.

Bank Asia Managing Director Arfan Ali said the bank suspended transactions with some e-commerce merchants as a precautionary measure for their clients.

Contacted, Bank Asia Card Division Customer Care (CC) official Azizur Rahman said the bank has banned transactions with the same 10 platforms that were blacklisted by Brac Bank earlier. 

"Transactions have been stopped with the 10 companies. These are the 10 companies that BRAC Bank has closed transactions with and Bank Asia has also done so," he told The Business Standard. 

Meanwhile, City Bank authorities earlier on Tuesday issued a notice saying the bank will not be held responsible for any fraud stemming from using their American Express (Amex) card for online shopping. 

Brac Bank yesterday also sent a cautionary message through email and SMS to its customers in a bid to make them aware of being cheated.

According to a recent inspection report of the central bank, one of the 10 e-commerce platforms, Evaly's liabilities to customers and merchants have risen to Tk403.80 crore, while its current asset is only Tk65.17 crore.

The report says till 14 March this year, Evaly did not deliver products against a cumulative sum of Tk213.94 crore in advance payments from customers. Moreover, the company owes Tk189.85 crore to the merchants from whom it bought products.