BTRC Begins Action Against Online Gambling and Pornography Platforms
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has begun issuing formal notices to online platforms regarding the proliferation of online gambling, betting, and pornography. According to sources, the letters were sent via email on Monday, 4 November, following the decisions taken at the second multi-stakeholder consultative meeting on the matter.
BTRC has reportedly identified 108 pornography channels active on the messaging platform Telegram in Bangladesh. These channels were found to be distributing nude, obscene, and sexually explicit images and videos without authorization. In response, the regulator has formally requested Telegram to remove or disable access to these channels and associated content without delay.
A screenshot of a portion of the official letter was shared on 5 November by Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and ICT. The letter cites the Public Gambling Act 1867, Article 18 of the Constitution, and Section 20 of the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025—under which online and digital gambling, betting, and pornography are prohibited. Platform operators have been requested to ensure swift compliance and remove the content for legal and public safety reasons.
Shortly afterwards, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sachiv Bhuiyan also posted a graphic summarizing the directive.
To address challenges posed by online gambling and financial fraud, BTRC Chairman Major General Md. Emdadul Bari (Retd.) announced that BTRC and Bangladesh Bank are preparing to jointly establish a Subscriber Data Verification Platform (SDVP) system.
A social media post from Sajib Bhuiyan’s page stated:
“BTRC has informed that content and advertisements related to online gambling, digital betting, and pornography are being widely promoted across various social media platforms, which are prohibited under the country’s law and subject to legal action. Such content encourages moral degradation, harms youth culture, increases psychological stress and family conflict, and may lead to severe mental instability or adverse outcomes.”
The post added that platforms have been requested to promptly identify, restrict, and remove such illegal content from Bangladesh to ensure compliance and protect users, particularly adolescents.
According to BTRC sources, the letter to Telegram emphasizes that the authority to regulate, block, or remove online content rests solely with BTRC under Section 8(1) of the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025. The pornography channels in question violate Sections 8(2), 8(3), and 8(5) of the Pornography Control Act 2012, as well as Section 25 of the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025. Telegram has therefore been asked to take immediate steps to block or remove 108 identified links.
Officials from the commission noted that BTRC is continuously monitoring online platforms to prevent the spread of pornography, gambling, fraud, and hate content. Upon receiving reports, the relevant websites, pages, or channels are identified and action is taken. Prior to this, similar requests were made to Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).
Under the Pornography Control Act 2012, the distribution of obscene images or videos is a punishable offense, while the promotion or sale of pornographic material is also penalized, and electronic dissemination is prohibited. Additionally, the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025 grants BTRC authority to restrict or remove content that undermines social values and morality.
It is notable that on 19 October, a Dhaka court directed authorities to identify and take legal action against Telegram groups, administrators, and financial operators involved in distributing pornographic content. The directive followed media reports on the large-scale sale of explicit videos of young women through Telegram channels.
