2 held under DSA for gambling on IPL

Two people in Lalmonirhat were arrested on Monday night in a case filed under the Digital Security Act on charges of gambling.

The arrestees are Suzan Chandra Saha, 32, and Shahin Islam, 27.

Shah Alam, officer-in-charge of Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station, claimed that, for the first time in Bangladesh, a case was filed under the DSA against people for gambling.

The charges brought against the two were for committing an illegal e-transaction while betting on Indian Premier League matches using phone apps.

According to the DSA's section 30, if any person without legal authority, makes an e-transaction over electronic and digital means from any bank, insurance or any other financial institution or any organisation providing mobile money service; or makes any e-transaction though the it is, from time to time, declared illegal by the Government or Bangladesh Bank, then such an act shall be an offence.

The two were arrested under the DSA and also in a case filed under the anti-gambling law.

Cases were also filed against 14-15 others on the same charges, said OC Shah Alam.

Meanwhile, a 21-year-old was arrested and sued under the DSA by police in Cox's Bazar after he posted a video that allegedly levelled a death threat against the prime minister.

Mohammad Nur Alam was picked up by Chakaria police on Monday from his home in Kutakhali Union.

The case was filed by local Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Sujan Dey.

The first information report states that on April 22, Nur posted a video titled "Team with Air Cox Media" from his own social media handle.

In the video, Nur had a sentence threatening the Prime Minister, said the FIR. In addition, the FIR said that Nur Alam shared eight other links which were deemed inflammatory towards religion by the police.

Nur also has a YouTube channel where he posted content that could hurt the sentiments of "religious" people, said the FIR.

Dey said he felt that the content distributed by Nur Alam could provoke deterioration of the country's law and order. "That is why I filed the case," he told our correspondent.

Nur was sent to court where the magistrate ordered that he be sent to jail, said Shaker Mohammed Zubair, officer-in-charge of Chakaria police.