Action will begin following the closure of the country’s parliament on 30 April, with assertions made by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, who promised a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on gambling, alongside drug use, in response to concerns raised by Zainul Abdin Farroque, parliamentary member for the Noakhali-2 constituency.
“To save the youth from destruction, the government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy,” said Ahmed, who promised that law enforcement agencies will conduct coordinated operations to dismantle networks linked to drugs and gambling.
Most forms of gambling remain illegal in Bangladesh under the Public Gaming Act of 1867, meaning online gambling operates in a grey area with no local regulation.
Ahmed’s call to arms over curtailing online gambling comes despite Bangladesh last year passing the Cyber Security..