Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) has issued a rule asking why the government should not be directed to remove all websites, links, apps, gateways, and advertisements related to online gambling.
At the same time, the court questioned why a directive should not be given to form a monitoring cell for round-the-clock surveillance of online gambling and those involved in such activities.
The bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Irun Nahar Siddiqua passed the order on Sunday after a hearing a writ petition.
The secretaries of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), 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, they have been ordered to submit a progress report within 30 days regarding actions taken against the broadcasting of online gambling advertisements and the financial transactions involved.
Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab, a Supreme Court lawyer, represented the petitioners in the court. He was assisted by Barristers Mohammad Kawsar, Naeem Sardar, and Bayejid Hossain.
The Law and Life Foundation Trust had served a legal notice to the government on April 16 seeking a ban on online gambling.
As the respondents did not take effective steps, the writ petition was filed.
According to the petition, under the existing laws and Constitution of Bangladesh, all forms of gambling are illegal and criminal acts.
However, due to the inaction of the concerned authorities, online gambling has turned into a national epidemic. Based on information published in various newspapers, around 5 million people in the country are addicted to online gambling.
With widespread access to smartphones and the internet, not only adults but also young children are falling victim to this addiction, leading to financial ruin for many.
The petition demands that all links, sites, gateways, and applications related to online gambling be shut down or blocked. Appropriate measures must be taken to ensure that Google or any other search engine cannot promote or spread gambling-related advertisements.
It also calls for investigations and action against celebrities promoting online gambling, mobile banking companies involved in financial transactions, and scheduled banks. Furthermore, access to gambling-related sites via social media platforms like Google, Facebook, YouTube, X, and WhatsApp must be restricted.
Meanwhile on April 27, the High Court, after hearing another writ petition, ordered the formation of an expert committee consisting of officials from seven departments to tackle online gambling.
These members must be selected from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, BTRC, BFIU, and Police Headquarters.
