A writ petition resulted in an order from the bench of the High Court, presided over by Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua.

Government officials have been ordered on 4 May, to begin investigating those associated with online gambling adverts, online promotions, and digital financial transactions.

Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua, members of the High Court bench, directed this order after reviewing the writ petition, based on details from the court. An additional requirement from the bench involves the submission of a progress report within 30 days in the form of an affidavit. 

A rule was also issued by the bench requiring the government to clarify why it should not remove all internet gateways that connect to links, applications, Google advertisements, Yahoo, YouTube, Whatsapp, Bigo live, Tiktok, Like, Google Play store, and other forms of electronic media.

Another rule was issued by the court, asking the government to detail why an order should not be given to create a monitoring cell to watch online gambling and other related activities around the clock. 

According to the court rule, secretaries from the Post and Telecommunications Ministry, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, Law Ministry, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, and Financial Intelligence Unit of Bangladesh Bank, as well as the inspector general of police (IGP), have been listed as respondents. The court specified that this rule is returnable within four weeks, requiring a timely response from all those parties named.

Barrister Muhammad Humayun Kabir represented the petitioner in court. On behalf of the human rights group ‘Law and Life Foundation Trust’, Barrister Humayun issued a legal notice on 16 April 2025, asking the government to close all website links and gateways related to online gambling. 

The government did not respond to the notice, and so Barrister Humayun filed a writ petition to address this matter. Existing laws and the Constitution of Bangladesh make all gambling activities illegal, and the writ petition states that such acts are treated as criminal offences.

Because respondents did nothing, online gambling has spread like an epidemic within the country. 

Newspaper reports indicate that nearly 50 lakh people in Bangladesh have developed addiction to online gambling. Smartphones and internet reach all over the nation, so addiction is not just among adults—young children are also getting involved. 

Current trends show that several lakh individuals have lost their livelihoods because of gambling. Foreign companies and local syndicates work together, taking advantage and moving thousands of taka out of the country through these activities.

Popular Bangladeshi celebrities, showbiz models, and stars utilise their own Facebook pages and accounts to advertise gambling ads for money. Numerous television and online media channels broadcast gambling ads on their channels and digital platforms.

The payments for online gambling services such as 1xBet and other casino applications are made using mobile banking services and local bank cards. There are several newspaper reports that attest to the use of local mobile banking agents in such transactions. Such activities pose a serious situation and require immediate action.