The education administration has launched a new initiative to protect students from engaging in illegal activities such as trading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, online gambling, and hundi.
The Ministry of Education has issued a directive to conduct a widespread awareness campaign in all universities, schools, and colleges to discourage students from participating in these unlawful practices. Simultaneously, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has instructed school headteachers and field-level education officers to conduct campaigns against cryptocurrency trading and online gambling in all educational institutions. This initiative has been undertaken on the counsel of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).
A recent order from the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education instructs heads of educational institutions and field-level education officers to spearhead anti-cryptocurrency trading and online gambling campaigns across all educational institutions.
The BFIU has raised concerns about the alarming increase in illicit transactions associated with online gambling, betting, foreign exchange, cryptocurrency trading, and hundi.
Investigations have revealed instances of money laundering abroad through these activities, posing a serious threat to the country's economy.
Moreover, individuals are falling victim to various forms of fraud related to these illicit transactions. Trading or investing in dollars at an individual level is prohibited under domestic law, and gambling, betting, cryptocurrency, and hundi transactions are likewise not allowed in Bangladesh. Individuals from various walks of life, including young people, are losing their hard-earned money by becoming entangled in these forex and cryptocurrency schemes. The lack of awareness surrounding these issues is a notable concern.
On September 11, the director of BFIU, Rafiqul Islam, sent a letter to Suleman Khan, the secretary of the secondary and higher education department of the Ministry of Education, requesting necessary awareness measures in schools, colleges, and universities to educate students about the risks associated with illegal gambling, betting, foreign exchange, cryptocurrency trading, and hundi activities and to deter their involvement in such transactions.
The Ministry of Education has heeded BFIU's recommendation. On October 2, the Ministry of Secondary and Higher Education Department issued a directive to universities, schools, and colleges to raise student awareness about these issues.
The order, signed by Deputy Secretary Md Abdullah Al Masood, was sent to the University Grants Commission and the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.
Building upon this directive, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education issued an order on November 5. In the directive, signed by Deputy Director Bipul Chandra Biswas, it is mandated that awareness campaigns be conducted in all educational institutions to educate students about the perils of illegal online gambling, betting, foreign exchange, cryptocurrency trading, and hundi activities, and to discourage their involvement in these activities.
The order has been sent to regional directors, principals of public and private colleges, regional deputy directors, district education officers, head teachers of all government and private schools, and upazila secondary education officers.
