Bangladesh’s Telecommunications & ICT Minister, Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, has issued a stern warning. Any websites displaying betting or unsafe gambling-related advertisements—even via hyperlinks—may face immediate removal by the government.
Ongoing Issue Despite Warnings
Local reports indicate that, despite multiple warnings, many websites continue to run unregulated gambling ads. The persistence of these sites prompted a focused discussion at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) headquarters in Dhaka.
During the meeting, Taiyeb highlighted the use of newly implemented web crawling technologies. These technologies track connections between mobile financial service accounts and gambling activity. Authorities have already identified and removed over 1,330 illegal links. Moreover, lists of unregulated accounts have been compiled for weekly review.
Stronger Enforcement on the Horizon
Taiyeb stressed the need for stricter enforcement by broadband service providers and mobile operators. This is essential to curb the spread of unregulated gambling advertisements.
“Almost all media outlets are still actively participating in unsafe content and gambling advertisements because they profit from them,” Taiyeb stated. “Multiple notices have already been issued. There will be no further public notice—we will simply close them. These sites must be shut down.”
Zero-Tolerance Policy
The announcement follows the government’s declaration of a zero-tolerance online gambling policy last week under the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025. This action reinforces Bangladesh’s commitment to a safer digital environment.
