Bangladesh High Court orders government to report on progress against online gambling ads
The government must submit a progress report within 30 days.
Bangladesh.- The High Court of Bangladesh (HC) has ordered the government to submit a progress report on actions taken against online gambling ads and financial transactions. The directive issued on May 4 gives the government 30 days to respond.
The order was issued by a bench of justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua following a petition filed by barrister Muhammad Humayun Kabir, representing the Law and Life Foundation Trust, a human rights organisation. The HC also asked the government to explain why authorities should not be ordered to block internet access to gambling links, apps, and adverts on social media and platforms like Google, Yahoo and YouTube and why a monitoring team should not be established to monitor online gambling.
Respondents named in the case include the secretaries of the ministries of Post and Telecommunications, Information and Broadcasting, Home Affairs, and Law, as well as the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the Financial Intelligence Unit of Bangladesh Bank, and the Inspector General of Police.
The petition argues that online gambling has spread widely in the country despite its illegality. It claims that about 5 million people in Bangladesh gamble online, including children. It claims some Bangladeshi celebrities are promoting gambling ads on their personal social media accounts for money.
