Nationwide crackdown on gambling, online betting, drugs after Apr 30

FE REPORT
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday said the government would launch a coordinated nationwide crackdown on gambling, online betting and drugs after April 30 as part of its zero-tolerance policy against narcotics and illegal activities.
He made the announcement in Parliament during the 22nd sitting of the first session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad while responding to a notice under Rule 71 submitted by MP Zainul Abedin Farroque.
The notice raised concerns over illegal shisha lounges operating under the guise of restaurants and cafés in upscale areas of the capital. Replying to the query, the minister said that under the amended Narcotics Control Act 2018 (amended in 2020), shisha has been classified as a Category 'B' narcotic.
He said the government had identified drugs as a national problem and made clear commitments in its election manifesto to combat the menace.
The minister revealed that shisha lounge owners had filed five writ petitions against the state in an attempt to continue their illegal business.
However, following appeals by the Department of Narcotics Control, the Appellate Division vacated the interim orders previously granted in those cases.
He further said the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued directives as early as April 8, 2016, instructing law enforcement agencies, in coordination with narcotics control authorities, to shut down unauthorised shisha lounges. Citing recent enforcement actions, the minister said a drive in Gulshan-2 on April 16 led to the seizure of nearly five kilograms of shisha and 35 hookahs from an illegal establishment known as "The Courtyard Bazaar Lounge".
Another operation at a venue operating as "Shisha Lounge Restaurant" resulted in the seizure of around four kilograms of shisha and eight hookahs.
To prevent such businesses from reopening under new names or at new locations, intelligence surveillance has been strengthened and strict legal action is continuing, he said.
The home minister also noted that Dhaka North City Corporation had taken notice of illegal shisha lounges operating behind residential buildings and commercial fronts. He warned that such activities were harmful to public health, urban order and law enforcement, and were completely unacceptable.
Salahuddin said continuous monitoring was underway to ensure that illegal shisha lounges could not resume operations by changing addresses or hiding behind residential premises.
Building owners were being made aware through community policing initiatives, while any police personnel found supporting such activities would face disciplinary action.
Reaffirming the government's stance, the minister said, "We have declared zero tolerance against gambling, online gambling and drugs in our election manifesto. After April 30, we will launch a coordinated nationwide crackdown. There is no alternative if we are to protect the youth of the country."
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