An expatriate named Merajul Islam, aged 44, from Asadpur Union in Homna upazila of Cumilla, died by suicide after reportedly losing about Tk 2.2 million in online gambling. According to local sources, he had been suffering from severe depression following the financial loss and consumed a toxic pesticide tablet on Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition but could not be saved. His funeral and burial took place the same night in his village after an autopsy at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Local residents have urged strict legal action against online gambling apps to protect young people from addiction. Asadpur Union Parishad Chairman Md Jalal Pathan said he heard that Merajul took his own life after losing everything in online gambling but could not confirm the claim. Homna Police Station Officer-in-Charge Tomas Barua stated that the autopsy was completed in Dhaka and that Merajul and his son had recently returned from abroad and were facing financial hardship, which may have contributed to the incident.

Police noted that discussions about Merajul’s involvement in online gambling had surfaced on Facebook.