A bill to amend the Cyber Security Act was introduced in the Bangladesh Parliament on Saturday. The bill was presented by Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam. It proposes to repeal the section of the law that defines gambling in cyberspace as a crime and prescribes penalties. After being introduced under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Kaysar Kamal, the bill was sent to the parliamentary committee on the Ministry of Law, which was asked to submit a report within three working days.
According to the statement of objectives, the Cyber Security Act 2026 was enacted to ensure a safe and secure cyberspace. Section 20 of the Act currently includes provisions on gambling and related offenses. However, since the Ministry of Home Affairs has already introduced the Gambling Prevention Act 2026 to address such crimes, the new amendment seeks to remove the gambling-related section from the Cyber Security Act.
The proposed amendment aims to avoid overlapping legal provisions and streamline the legislative framework for cyber and gambling offenses in Bangladesh.