BFIU suspends over 48,000 MFS accounts
A total of 48,586 personal mobile financial service accounts have been suspended by Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) for suspected involvement in online gambling, betting, and hundi.
This was informed by the State Minister for Finance, Waseqa Ayesha Khan, in parliament yesterday as she read out a statement on behalf of Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, who was absent.
A total of 5,029 mobile financial service (MFS) agents were terminated for their alleged involvement in hundi transactions.
Besides, the minister also said as per BFIU's instruction, transactions of 10,666 MFS agent accounts have been blocked for suspected involvement in illegal hundi, gaming, betting, and cryptocurrency.
The unit has identified over 2,000 websites, apps, and social media pages and flagged them to Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission for necessary action.
Meanwhile, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has urged the government to crack down on online gambling to prevent money laundering.
"Despite clear directives from the apex court, there appears to be a lack of visible measures to curb this trend. Instead, gambling is being advertised under new guises on satellite channels and social media platforms," said TIB in a statement yesterday.
"Despite all forms of gambling being illegal under the country's laws, it is being promoted using different strategies. Flashy advertisements for different betting sites are disguised or presented in 'surrogated' formats in traditional media during broadcasts of popular sporting events like IPL, BPL, or others. This year, a surrogated advertisement for a betting site was even observed on a BPL team jersey," they added.
While most online gambling sites are based in Russia, Malaysia, and Indonesia, local agents in Bangladesh facilitate transactions through mobile banking, leading to millions laundered abroad, said TIB.
The statement quoted TIB's Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman as stating, "We are witnessing a surge in online gambling in the country. Exploiting legal loopholes for profit cannot be deemed responsible broadcasting. Even city billboards are promoting online gambling."
TIB urged for the immediate restriction of gambling-related advertisements, turning the draft of Gambling Prevention Act, 2023, into law, alongside proactive measures by relevant law enforcement agencies.
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