Due to the ineffective steps taken by law enforcement agencies, the High Court has now stepped in to take action against online gambling. Based on a writ petition, the court has formed a high-level committee.
The committee has been instructed to submit a report within three months on which celebrities are promoting gambling sites on social media and what measures can be taken to shut them down.
Despite being banned, online gambling has spread to remote areas, similar to the way drugs have. According to a report from the ICT Ministry last year, nearly 5 million people are involved in online gambling. Celebrities, including sports stars, actors, actresses, and models, are often used to promote betting sites, which increases the attraction to gambling.
The writ petition was heard by a bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Shikdar Mahmudur Razee at the High Court. Following the hearing, the court ordered the formation of a committee consisting of the secretaries of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Chairman of the BTRC, among others. The court also issued a rule questioning why the authorities have been inactive in taking action.
Mahin M. Rahman, the lawyer representing the writ petitioner, said, “A specialized committee will be formed to conduct an investigation. They will identify the individuals involved and determine how to effectively shut down the gambling operations. An interim order has been given for the committee to submit an investigation report within 90 days.”
Most online gambling occurs on mobile phones. Lawyers have stated that many individuals, having lost everything to gambling, have resorted to suicide, and large sums of money are being laundered.
Supreme Court lawyer Omar Faruq said, “In rural areas, even 14-15-year-old children are playing these games, sitting together with 8 to 10 people and using phones. The actors and actresses who are promoting these gambling sites should be held accountable because they are encouraging harmful activities, which is also a crime.”
Another Supreme Court lawyer, Humayun Kabir Pallab, stated, “While gambling is widespread in rural areas and at street corners, we haven’t seen any effective steps taken by our law enforcement agencies.”
According to the Public Gambling Act of 1867, gambling is completely prohibited in Bangladesh. Article 18 of the Constitution also mandates the state to take effective measures against activities like prostitution and gambling.
