The High Court on Sunday asked why a directive should not be given to form a monitoring cell to continuously oversee the activities of those involved in online gambling.
The order was passed following a preliminary hearing of the writ petition by a High Court bench comprising Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Ainunnahar Siddika.
The court also issued a rule asking why the government should not be directed to remove all types of internet gateways, links, applications, and advertisements related to "online gambling" from Google, Yahoo, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Bigo Live, TikTok, Likee, Google Play Store, and all other electronic media.
The secretaries of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Law; the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission; the Financial Intelligence Unit of Bangladesh Bank; and the inspector general of police have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.
Additionally, the court ordered that within 30 days, a progress report in the form of an affidavit must be submitted to the court regarding the steps taken against those involved in the advertisement, promotion, and financial transactions related to online gambling.
According to the writ, gambling of any kind is illegal and a criminal offense under Bangladesh’s existing laws and constitution. However, due to the inaction of the authorities, online gambling has taken the form of a pandemic in Bangladesh.
According to various news reports, around 5 million people in Bangladesh are addicted to online gambling.
With widespread access to smartphones and the internet, even young children, along with adults, are becoming addicted to gambling. As a result, millions are losing their wealth to gambling, as mentioned in the writ.
Meanwhile, foreign companies are collaborating with local syndicates to launder billions of takas abroad. Renowned celebrities and showbiz personalities in Bangladesh are promoting gambling ads on their personal Facebook pages and accounts in exchange for money, it said.
Many television and online media platforms are also running gambling advertisements on their pages, added the writ.
As reported by Prothom Alo, celebrities such as cricketer Shakib Al Hasan have at various times promoted online gambling through advertisements on their Facebook pages.
Apps and casinos such as 1xBet facilitate gambling through mobile banking and local bank cards, with local mobile banking agents also reportedly involved, according to news reports. These matters are highly concerning and require urgent action, said the writ.
In 1867, during British rule, gambling was declared illegal by law.
Under Section 92 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance 1976, and Sections 294A and 294B of the Penal Code, all forms of gambling are prohibited and punishable offenses. Article 18(2) of the Constitution mandates the state to take necessary steps to prevent all forms of gambling.
Furthermore, Sections 29 and 30 of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Act 2001 require the provision of reliable and secure internet and telecommunication services. Unfortunately, due to the failure of the concerned authorities to properly enforce the law, the internet and telecom infrastructure are now flooded with obscene, harmful, and illegal content, which is unacceptable.
Therefore, the following actions have been sought through the writ:
Immediate blocking or shutdown of all links, sites, gateways, and applications related to online gambling.
Ensuring Google and other internet companies do not promote or propagate any form of online gambling advertisement.
Legal action against celebrities, influencers, and financial facilitators involved in promoting online gambling.
Ensuring online gambling sites, apps, or links are inaccessible through any social media platform such as Google, Facebook, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), or WhatsApp.
Formation of a special monitoring cell to prevent online gambling and enforcement of punitive actions against those involved.