Bangladesh's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested Md Liton Howlader, 36, an MFS agent in Khulna accused of renting out an agent SIM registered in his name for online gambling transactions. He was summoned to CID headquarters on 4 November 2026, according to The Daily Star and NPB News, and Ajker Patrika reports that he was arrested after questioning there that day, a Wednesday. The CID announced the arrest on 5 November, as reported by all three outlets.
What happened
According to the CID, Liton runs an MFS agent outlet, Liton Tea Stall, in Khulna's Baikali area. He is accused of renting the SIM for three days to an auto-rickshaw driver, Hanif, for Tk 10,000. Between 7 and 9 August 2026 a bKash account linked to the SIM handled Tk 2,26,33,801 in online gambling transactions. The Daily Star describes it as an MFS agent SIM; Ajker Patrika and NPB News call it a bKash-Nagad agent SIM.
Investigators reached Liton through Sheikh Sakhir Ahmed, 33, who was arrested earlier in the case and named 14 shop owners whose agent SIMs were allegedly used for online gambling. The Business Standard, which spells his name Sakir, reported that he was one of four people the CID arrested in Khulna on 2 September 2026. According to the CID, Liton admitted renting out the SIM during questioning. A mobile phone and an agent SIM were seized from him.
The case was filed at Paltan Model Police Station on 31 August 2026 under several sections of the Gambling Prevention Act 2026 and concerns illegal transactions and alleged money laundering abroad. The CID says it has preliminary evidence of Liton's involvement and is working to identify and arrest others.
Why it matters
According to The Business Standard's 4 September report, the network behind the Khulna arrests took customer deposits through MFS numbers and bank accounts that it changed regularly to avoid surveillance, collecting new ones from agents across the country. Under the Gambling Prevention Act 2026, laundering gambling money through fake SIM cards or fraudulent MFS accounts carries up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Tk 5 crore, and online gambling offences carry up to five years or a Tk 1 crore fine, The Business Standard reported. Our guide to the law on online gambling in Bangladesh covers the Act in more detail. For the CID's wider figures, see CID online gambling arrests in 2026.
Sources
- The Daily Star, 5 November 2026
- Ajker Patrika (Bangla), 5 November 2026
- NPB News (Bangla), 5 November 2026
- The Business Standard, 4 September 2026
- The Business Standard, 2 July 2026
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