The nation’s parliament has passed a Bill imposing tougher new penalties for gambling, online betting and cricket match- fixing, with offenders facing up to seven years in prison and hefty fines.
The Gambling Prevention Bill 2026 would replace a colonial-era law under which offences were punishable with fines of as little as 100 taka (RM3.30) and up to one month’s imprisonment.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, who introduced the Bill, said it was designed to tackle modern forms of gambling in tune with rapidly-changing times.
“Nowadays, gambling takes place online, in cyberspace (and) across various websites,” he said in a speech in the parliament.
“It (online gambling) has become a significant cybersecurity and financial crime concern. Many platforms collect sensitive user data and may also create avenues for money laundering.”
Under the new law, anyone involved in online betting could face up to seven years of imprisonment and a fine of up to 50 million taka (RM1.64mil).
Match-fixing and spot-fixing offences in cricket would carry a maximum penalty of seven years in jail and a fine of up to 10 million taka (RM327,650).
The legislation sparked concern from opposition lawmakers over the prospect of unchecked powers being granted to authorities.
Akhter Hossain, a lawmaker from the National Citizen Party (NCP), said provisions allowing authorities to conduct searches and seizures and to block websites without a court order could undermine people’s rights. — AFP
