The finance minister and tourism secretary seem to have conflicts of opinion regarding the casinos in the country's tourist zones.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md Mohibul Hoque said on Tuesday (Sept 24) that the ministry wants to set up casinos in the tourist zones for foreign visitors while Finance Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal said that the gambling facilities are illegal.
“Casinos are completely illegal,” Kamal told the media hours after the tourism secretary’s comment.
Although the laws in Bangladesh do not mention casinos, The Public Gambling Act, 1867 makes public gambling except betting on horse races illegal and provisions for both fine and jail-term.
Meanwhile, Mohibul Hoque said that casinos are needed for tourists. “We have tourist spots but what are the attractions? We haven’t been able to sell those”
He added that there are casinos in Malaysia which allow tourists showing their passports and a similar system could be applied in Bangladesh.
“We aren’t against the government’s anti-casino and anti-gambling drives. We completely agree with it. What we are trying to say that casinos are needed in an exclusive zone so that foreigners can enter by showing their passport,” he said.
Responding to queries on whether steps will be initiated to legalise casinos, he said, “If we open a separate tourist zone, then this facility will be there.”
He said that Bangladesh is unable to use the tourist spots it has due to lack of attractions and the tourism ministry was studying the districts so as to create exclusive tourist zones.
The finance minister however disagreed hours later, saying “The laws that are in foreign countries cannot be applied in ours. The government will never legalise something illegal.”
He commended the crackdown on the casinos and said that the home ministry will deal with foreigners working there.