Bangladesh: population says NO to casino legalisation

If it was up to the general public, legal casinos wouldn’t come to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh.- A new Research International poll found that 97% of respondents supported the government’s casino crackdown. The poll also found that 83% of respondents oppose the legalisation of casinos in Bangladesh.

Authorities continue to pursue their casino crackdown, which began last month with raids on dozens of illegal gambling operations, mostly in the capital Dhaka.

This week, the nation’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) announced that it had identified at least 20 individuals suspected of deriving significant wealth from illegal gambling operations.

ACC chairman Iqbal Mahmud said that “no one will get exemption” from prosecution, regardless of their political affiliation or position.

The crackdown has already claimed some high-profile political scalps.

As a result, this weekend saw the arrest of Ismail Chowdhury Samrat, president of the Dhaka South Jubo League, along with vice-president Enamul Hoque Arman for being at the top of the illegal casino food chain.

Also, last week, they have arrested Salim Prodhan while trying to board a flight to Bangkok. He was denied bail and sentenced to six months in jail. Allegedly, he operated online gambling businesses known as P24 Gaming and T21.

Some members of the government proposed setting up four designated casino zones for foreign passport holders to gamble, while other government officials have stated that such an idea would be an affront to the nation’s religious sensibilities.