Bangladesh top court orders formation of committee on online gambling ads
The High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court has directed the government to form a seven-member committee to investigate and take measures to ban the advertisement and promotion of online gambling and betting sites via celebrities on social and mainstream media.
The order was passed on 27 April 2025 by a bench consisting of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi, following a preliminary hearing of a public interest writ petition. The petition was filed by Supreme Court lawyer Mahin M Rahman, representing the petitioners along with Barrister Ashiqur Rahman.
The committee will include seven individuals: the secretaries of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Cultural Affairs, and Information and Communication Technology, the Inspector General of Police, and the Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). The committee has been ordered to submit a report within 90 days.
In its ruling, the High Court also issued a rule asking why no action has been taken to stop the promotion and advertisement of online gambling through celebrities. The court questioned why the failure of authorities to prevent such advertisements should not be declared illegal.
Concerns over illegal gambling
Speaking to local media, Mahim M Rahman explained that gambling and betting are prohibited under Bangladesh’s existing laws and constitution. The court has tasked the committee with investigating the operation of online gambling platforms, identifying the platforms and the individuals or celebrities involved, and examining how gamblers make payments to these operators. The committee will also look into the extent of gambling advertisements and celebrity endorsements on social and mainstream media.
Rahman, representing the petitioner, argued that online gambling has become a public nuisance, contributing to financial crimes such as money laundering. He stated that large sums of money are being illegally transferred abroad through such gambling platforms even though gambling and betting are prohibited under existing laws and the constitution.
Earlier, on 16 April, Supreme Court lawyer Tanjim Rafeed had filed the writ petition, calling for the formation of a probe committee to address the issue of online gambling advertisements using celebrities. The petition also called for permanent measures to combat the problem.
The court’s latest ruling builds on previous decisions, including one from 2020 that prohibited indoor gambling in social clubs across the country. In addition, a High Court bench in 2023 had ordered the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to block access to online gambling websites and instructed mobile financial service providers to prevent the use of their payment gateways for gambling transactions.
The government and the police have been given four weeks to respond to the rule issued by the court.
