The government has initiated a crackdown on online gambling. Already, more than eleven hundred agents have been identified, and the process of taking legal action against them has begun. This government campaign will continue.
This information was shared in a post on the verified Facebook page of the government’s National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) yesterday, Sunday. Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, Advisor for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, and Youth and Sports, and Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, wrote the same on Facebook, citing the agency.
The post stated that the process of shutting down mobile banking accounts involved in gambling has started and urged anyone with information on the matter to report it to the National Cyber Security Agency via email (notify@ncsa.gov.bd).
Stars from the country’s entertainment and sports sectors once regularly promoted online gambling. Among others, film actress Shobnom Bubly, model Peya Jannatul, and cricketer Shakib Al Hasan were seen promoting online gambling on social media. Due to loopholes in the then-existing laws, action could not be taken against them.
However, on May 21st, the Ministry of Law published the gazette for the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025. Sections 20, 21, and 22 of this new ordinance prohibit gambling and all activities associated with it. Under this, “creating or operating any portal, app, or device for gambling in cyberspace, gambling itself, assisting or encouraging gambling, or participating in advertisements to encourage gambling, and being directly or indirectly involved in promotion or advertisement has been declared a punishable offense.” Additionally, any financial transactions related to online gambling, or any fraud or forgery concerning gambling, have also been banned. This law includes provisions for fines of up to one crore taka.
The National Cyber Security Agency’s Facebook post urged those who were voluntarily involved in gambling or its advertisement before the enactment of the Cyber Security Ordinance to immediately cease such activities. It also stated, “Those who have previously been victims of fraud and suffered losses due to gambling have the opportunity to file cases against the accused companies and receive compensation under Section 30 of the law.”
Warning that legal action will be taken against anyone involved in online gambling, the same post added, “Action will be taken against everyone, including professionals, respected individuals, celebrities, advertising companies, media buyers, advertisers in print and electronic media, and advertisement recipients.”
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