Bangladesh tables bill to make match-fixing and spot-fixing criminal offences

Cricket has developed, and nowadays, spot-fixing and match-fixing have diminished from the game, with stricter rules and punishments for the cricketers and other staff involved in the management. Now Bangladesh has taken a step closer to criminalising match-fixing and spot-fixing after the Gambling Prevention Bill, 2026, was introduced in Parliament, with guilty person will have to serve seven years in prison and a Tk 1 crore fine.

As per reports from Cricbuzz, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been in discussion with the government to explore turning match-fixing into a criminal offence. Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed implemented the bill in Parliament on June 24. This has been done to introduce stricter measures against online gambling, betting, match-fixing, and spot-fixing.

Match fixing and spot fixing has been criminalized- Bangladesh Cricket Board on Match-Fixing

The new law implemented replaces the 1867 Public Gambling Act, with all offences under the new law classified as distinct, non-bailable, and unforgivable. The category identifies gambling and fixing-related offences into 24 categories and prescribes 14 different types of punishment depending on the nature of the offence.

“Match fixing and spot fixing has been criminalized in the new gambling prevention bill that was recently proposed in the parliament by our honorable law minister that had been sent to law ministry for assessment,” Barrister Mahin M Rahman, general counsel of the BCB’s integrity unit, told Cricbuzz on Saturday (June 27).

“Maximum 7 years imprisonment and/or One Crore Taka fine (had been proposed in the law for match fixers and spot fixers),” he said. Cases under the proposed law will be tried in cyber tribunals and courts with jurisdiction under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Don’t have rights to lodge a case- Mahin M Rahman on match-fixing

The new law made in Bangladesh will be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs to analyse it and produce a report within five business days.

“One thing is that anti-corruption unit’s of different federations don’t have rights to lodge a case, every process has become police-based, police law enforcement and government agency based, I think this is an oversight, the government can all too well include this (on boarding the anti- corruption unit of different federations) and the honorary Members of Parliament can give an input on this,” said Mahin.

“The bodies and teams that are there for anti-corruption activities in federations should be entrusted rights to file the complaint, and information should be taken from them,” he added. “All the federations have an anti-corruption unit and their input needs to be recognised by the law.”

Bangladesh implements new rules to stop fixing

Such offences, which are listed under the Mobile Court Act of 2009, may also be tried in lower courts. Authorities will also be able to prohibit social media platforms, websites, mobile applications, servers, domains, and IP addresses used to commit such crimes.

The proposed legislation gives courts further authority to order the closure of bank accounts, mobile financial service (MFS) accounts, payment gateways, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency wallets used for gambling. It also calls for the establishment of a National Digital Blacklist to aid in the prevention of betting, online gambling, money laundering, and other criminal activities.