Dhaka, Nov 05 (V7N) – Bangladesh has already shut down nearly 5,000 Mobile Financial Service (MFS) accounts linked to online gambling, authorities confirmed during a high-level meeting on November 4. The session, titled “Measures to Prevent Online Gambling,” was held at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.

Foyez Ahmed Tayyab, Special Assistant to the Principal Adviser at the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, stated that measures are being considered to limit internet speed on phone numbers involved in online betting.

He explained that BTRC has started sending notifications to various online platforms to curb gambling activities and that the process will continue. Guidelines for media houses on web browser settings and AdSense integration are under review by the Ministry of Information and will soon be issued. Digital advertising guidelines have also been drafted in coordination with the Ministry and will be published upon approval.

A centralized database is being developed to coordinate relevant government agencies, platforms, and operators, ensuring closer monitoring of suspicious activities. “To free the country from online gambling, it is essential to identify pseudo members of gambling networks, monitor traffic to slow down suspicious links, and track transactions from related phone numbers or MFS accounts. Verified accounts will then be blocked, following compliance and legal procedures,” Foyez Ahmed Tayyab added.

The meeting also emphasized social stability, protecting youth from negative influences, and preventing money laundering through coordinated efforts across a central platform.

BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd.) Emdadul Bari noted that limiting SIM ownership to 10 per individual after December 16 could help combat gambling. Representatives from payment systems highlighted that integrating SIMs, mobile numbers, and national ID numbers could substantially reduce online gambling issues.

Representatives from bKash reported that 397 mobile numbers were closed in the past two weeks for gambling activities, and online tracking is being enhanced using crawling engines. The meeting also proposed creating a specialized agency similar to the Department of Narcotics Control for online scam and gambling prevention and strengthening cross-domain monitoring.

The session was attended by representatives from mobile network operators, Internet Service Providers, international Internet gateway services, law enforcement agencies, and Mobile Financial Services providers.

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