Bangladesh Bank, CID launch online gambling warning campaign
Bangladesh Bank, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and mobile financial services provider bKash have launched a nationwide awareness campaign warning citizens about the risks and legal consequences of online gambling.
According to the local newspaper The Dhaka Tribune, the campaign aims at people from all parts of society, especially younger audiences. This comes as Bangladesh steps up its efforts to fight online gambling after the Gambling Prevention Act 2026 was introduced.
Awareness advertisements are running on television channels and being promoted in newspapers and on social media. The campaign focuses on the social and financial damage related to online gambling. It also warns participants about possible criminal penalties.
Authorities said offenders could face up to two years’ imprisonment, fines of up to BDT 1 crore ($81,319), and arrest without a warrant under Bangladesh’s gambling laws. The initiative comes as Bangladesh continues a broader crackdown on online gambling, betting platforms and gambling-related financial crime.
Campaign warns of legal and financial consequences
The advertisements stress that online gambling can lead to significant financial losses, addiction and legal repercussions. Officials involved in the campaign said the initiative is designed not only to educate the public but also to send a strong deterrent message to operators, promoters and individuals involved in illegal gambling activities. Several media organisations have also published reports outlining the damaging effects of gambling as part of the wider awareness effort.
Major General Sheikh Md Monirul Islam (retd), Chief External and Corporate Affairs Officer at bKash, said the company views the campaign as part of its broader responsibility to maintain a secure financial ecosystem. “As a responsible financial institution, we are conducting this campaign jointly with Bangladesh Bank and CID. We execute awareness drives throughout the year to foster secure transactions across the financial ecosystem and will continue this effort in the days ahead,” he said, as cited by The Dhaka Tribune.
Law enforcement officials warned that online gambling creates digital footprints that investigators can track. Jasim Uddin Khan, Special Superintendent of Police (Media) at CID, stated that many participants mistakenly think online gambling is undetectable. He also mentioned that the campaign aims to raise public awareness of the law and encourage citizens to stay alert.
New gambling law expands enforcement powers
The awareness campaign comes after the Bangladesh Gambling Prevention Act 2026 was put into effect. This law began on 1 July after the president approved it. It replaced the old Public Gambling Act of 1867 and established a new legal framework. This framework covers online gambling, sports betting, digital casinos, cryptocurrency-related gambling, and financial crimes tied to gambling.
Under the new law, authorities have expanded powers to investigate and disrupt gambling operations conducted through websites, mobile applications, social media platforms and digital payment systems. The legislation also allows regulators and law enforcement agencies to block gambling-related websites and digital platforms while targeting financial channels used to facilitate gambling transactions.
Bangladesh has increasingly linked online gambling networks to money laundering, digital fraud and illicit financial flows. Authorities previously reported suspending or freezing tens of thousands of mobile financial service accounts suspected of involvement in online gambling and digital hundi activities.
The latest campaign reflects Bangladesh’s wider zero-tolerance approach towards online gambling. Government agencies, including Bangladesh Bank, CID, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and cybersecurity authorities, have stepped up enforcement efforts over the past two years.
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