Ban all kinds of destructive online games

The High Court yesterday directed the telecom regulator to ban for three months online games PUBG, FreeFire and others that it deemed destructive.

The court said the move was aimed at saving children and adolescents from social degradation.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain in 10 days why their inaction to ban online games and apps including TikTok, Likee, Bigo Live, PUBG and FreeFire should not be declared illegal.

In the rule, the court also asked the authorities to show causes as to why they should not be directed to form a technical committee to monitor the online games and apps and to make necessary recommendations to this effect and why they should not be ordered to formulate a code of conduct or guideline in order to relieve the victims of such harmful games and apps.

The authorities have also been asked in the rule to explain why they should not be directed to assess how much money has been spent on such online games and apps and to bring the people involved in the transactions to book.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah gave the order and issued the rule following a writ petition seeking necessary directives, Assistant Attorney General Golam Sarwar Payel told The Daily Star.

On June 24 this year, Supreme Court lawyers Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallob and Mohammed Kawsar filed the writ petition with the HC as a public interest litigation on behalf of rights organisation Law and Life Foundation.

In the petition, they requested the HC to order the authorities concerned of the government to identify the individuals involved in the transaction of crores of taka and money laundering behind such apps and games.

The petitioners also urged the HC to form a committee with technologists, educationists and lawyers to make recommendations to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission for stopping games and apps that are harmful for the young generation.

The petitioners said the young people have become addicted to online games and apps like TikTok, Likee, Bigo Live, PUBG and FreeFire, and therefore, social values, education and culture are being harmed.

Using such online games and apps, the youth are being involved in violence and unethical activities and that is why such games and apps need to be banned on an urgent basis, the petitioners said.