A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking its directives to the government bodies concerned to take necessary steps for stopping the spread of online gambling or betting games immediately.
Directions have also been sought for stopping circulation of gambling advertisements online and the games' endorsement by popular celebrities in social media and also mainstream digital media.
Tanjim Rafeed, a resident of Kakrail area in Dhaka and also an advocate of the Supreme Court, filed the petition on Wednesday as a public interest litigation.
Barrister Mahin M Rahman who moved the petition on behalf of the petitioner told the FE that a High Court bench might hold hearing on the petition on Sunday next.
The petitioner urged the High Court to issue a rule upon the concerned bodies of the government asking them to explain what barred them from preventing spread of online gambling or betting games and circulation of their online advertisements and endorsements by popular celebrities in social media and mainstream digital media.
He also requested the court to ask why the respondents should not be directed to immediately stop spread of online gambling/betting games and circulation of their online advertisements and endorsements by popular celebrities in social media and mainstream digital media.
The petition also sought direction to block all online gambling websites and remove all related advertisements and endorsements published by celebrities and others on social media and mainstream media platforms.
It also sought an injunction restraining celebrities and others from advertising and endorsing any online gambling websites and applications on any social media and mainstream media platforms.
According to the petition, popular personalities of the media and sports sectors of the country with huge fan-following, such as Sakib Al Hasan, Peya Jannatul, Shobnom Bubly and Samira Khan Mahi, are publicly endorsing the online gambling platforms in their social media profiles as well as mainstream media being the brand ambassadors of those online gambling.
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