Dhaka — The Bangladesh Bank has directed all mobile financial service (MFS) providers to immediately suspend and block transactions linked to online gambling, as part of a nationwide effort to curb illicit financial activity within the country’s digital payments ecosystem.
In a formal notice sent to 13 MFS operators, the central bank — acting on instructions from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division — mandated strict monitoring, prevention, and reporting measures to identify and halt gambling-related transactions.
Under the directive, MFS providers must compile a list of accounts suspected of involvement in gaming payments and establish dedicated working groups to oversee compliance. The operators are also required to deploy AI-powered monitoring systems capable of detecting illegal transactions in real time, alongside launching public reporting mechanisms such as online portals and helplines to allow citizens to report gambling-related financial activities.
The central bank has scheduled a review meeting on November 6 with seven major providers to evaluate the effectiveness of existing controls and discuss the adoption of new technological tools to enhance oversight. The meeting will also explore potential regulatory reforms to strengthen enforcement capacity.
This initiative marks the latest in a series of measures by Bangladesh Bank to combat the growing misuse of digital payment channels for online gambling and unauthorized financial flows, underscoring its broader commitment to maintaining integrity within the country’s rapidly expanding fintech landscape.
