Dhaka: The government has declared an uncompromising stance against the promotion of online gambling, pornography, and unethical advertisements being circulated through various online platforms, websites, mobile applications, social media, and certain electronic media outlets in recent times.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, these activities are in clear violation of the Cyber Security Act, 2025, and the Pornography Control Act, 2012, as they undermine the moral development of the youth, erode social values and family bonds, and pose a threat to the nation’s ethical foundation, said a PID release issued today.
Reaffirming its commitment to ensuring a safe, moral, and youth-friendly cyberspace, the government has issued urgent directives to curb the spread of these unethical promotional contents. All newspapers, online news portals, local and regional media outlets, and digital advertising agencies in Bangladesh have been strictly prohibited from publishing or displaying any advertisements related to pornography, gambling, or betting on their default sites, applications, browser-based ads, Google AdSense, or any other advertising platforms.
Such actions constitute a direct breach of the Cyber Security Act, 2025, and will be subject to punitive measures under the law. Media professionals, celebrities, influencers, and content creators across the country have also been urged to refrain from participating in or endorsing any advertisements or promotional activities involving gambling, betting, pornography, or other unethical products, services, or websites.
Promoting or aiding such advertisements will be treated as a punishable offense under the Cyber Security Act, 2025. Furthermore, no domestic or foreign website, application, or digital platform operating in or accessible to Bangladeshi users may broadcast, host, or assist in promoting any content, advertisements, or links related to gambling, betting, or pornography.
The National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) will intensify its monitoring activities and, when necessary, take measures such as blocking, imposing fines, or initiating legal actions against the violators. Besides, mobile phone operators, internet service providers (ISPs), and international advertising platforms including Google AdSense and Meta Ads have been requested to strictly comply with Bangladesh’s prevailing laws, ethics, and local filtering and pop-up blocking policies.
Organizations have been instructed to customize their web and app-based AdSense settings to prevent gambling, pornography, betting, or gaming-related pop-up ads from appearing by default. The government will maintain a zero-tolerance policy against gambling-related advertisements and, depending on public feedback, will actively consider blocking the concerned websites along with issuing public communications on such actions.
The government believes that active participation from government agencies, media, technology companies, and civil society is crucial in building a moral, safe, and orderly society. Citizens and organizations are requested to report any online gambling, betting, or pornographic advertisements or content they come across to [email protected].
To ensure a secure, ethical, and youth-friendly cyberspace, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), National Security Intelligence (NSI), and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) are working jointly.