The High Court has directed authorities to submit a report within one month outlining the measures taken to shut down online gambling operations in Bangladesh. The order was issued on Sunday, May 4, by a bench comprising Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddika in response to a public interest writ petition.

The court also issued a rule asking why the government should not be ordered to remove all websites, links, apps, gateways, and advertisements related to online gambling. Additionally, the bench questioned why a dedicated monitoring cell should not be formed to continuously track and prevent gambling-related activities.

The court ordered relevant authorities to submit a progress report within 30 days regarding actions taken against advertisements and financial transactions tied to online gambling.

The secretaries of the Posts and Telecommunications, Information and Broadcasting, Home, and Law ministries, along with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the Financial Intelligence Unit of Bangladesh Bank, and the Inspector General of Police, were directed to respond to the rule within four weeks.

The petition was heard by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab, assisted by Barrister Mohammad Kawsar, Naeem Sardar, and Bayazid Hossain.

Earlier, on April 16, the Law and Life Foundation Trust served a legal notice on the government demanding action against online gambling. The writ was filed after the authorities failed to take effective steps.