Writ filed to ban TikTok, PUBG, BIGO LIVE, Likee and Free Fire

GBNEWS24 DESK//

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking a directive to the government to ban by removing five harmful online games and apps—TikTok, PUBG, BIGO LIVE, Likee and Free Fire—from various steaming platforms in Bangladesh.

On behalf of Law and Life Foundation, a human rights organisation, two Supreme Court lawyers–Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab and Barrister Mohammad Kawsar Talukder, filed the public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition.

A directive was also sought to set up an expert committee so that they could recommend Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to stop online games and their apps that are harmful to children and youths.

Posts and Telecommunications Division Secretary, Education Secretary, Home Affairs Secretary, Law Secretary, Health Secretary, BTRC chairman, Inspector General of Police, Bangladesh Bank Governor, Mobile Phone Operators, Bkash and Nagad were made respondents in the petition.

It has been mentioned in the writ petition that Bangladesh’s youths, juveniles and children have become very addicted to the online games like PUBG and Free Fire. As a result, social values, education, culture have been affected and the future generation is turning into dull, idiot and blunt. “The young generation is learning nothing but violence taking part in these games.”

On the other hand, the country’s youths, juveniles and children have been taking part in various illegal and immoral acts using the online apps like TikTok and Likee. Gang cultures are being developed in the country due to the uses of these apps by juveniles in the country. Followers of TikTok take part in various immoral recreational and sexual activities.

Besides, it has recently been detected that apps like TikTok, Likee and BIGO LIVE are being widely used for trafficking women and laundering money from Bangladesh which is very alarming and contrary to public interest, discipline and values.

The writ petitioners prayed for a directive to remove the harmful games and apps as early as possible and shut down all their links.