Bangladesh RAB Traces Betting Payments to bKash and Nagad

Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion has arrested a man accused of working with several international betting sites. Investigators say mobile wallets were used to handle funds linked to the alleged operation.

RAB-3 detained 43-year-old Md Ahidur Rahman on August 25 in the Rajarbagh area of Dhaka. The agency alleges that he worked as an administrator and agent for online gambling and betting platforms that are prohibited in Bangladesh.

Officers seized two smartphones, two SIM cards, Tk55,500 in cash, and a motorcycle. They also reported finding access through the devices to Tk81,214 in a bKash account and Tk50,041 in a Nagad account.

Mobile Wallets Form Part of the Money Trail

RAB is examining how funds moved between local bettors and people allegedly working as agents. According to the agency, members of the group supplied customers with credits for betting sites. Payments were then collected or transferred through mobile financial services.

Investigators also reviewed WhatsApp and Messenger conversations stored on the seized phones. RAB says the messages included gambling promotions and records of transactions involving contacts in Bangladesh and abroad.

Facebook and WhatsApp were allegedly used for customer recruitment as well. The agency claims accounts created under false identities helped direct users toward betting platforms. RAB has not publicly named the international sites involved.

Search Continues for Other Suspected Agents

Rahman allegedly told investigators that another 10 to 12 people had links to the operation. RAB said it is trying to identify and locate them, but has not released names or details about their suspected roles.

The description of the network comes from the law enforcement investigation and has not been established in court. A case has been filed against Rahman under the Gambling Prevention Act 2026.

2026 Law Covers Online Betting and Digital Wallets

Bangladesh adopted its new gambling law this summer, replacing legislation that dated back to 1867. The framework specifically addresses online and remote gambling, digital betting platforms, and technology used to move gambling funds.

That makes the payment side of the Dhaka investigation significant. RAB is looking beyond access to foreign betting websites and at the local infrastructure around them. The alleged network combined social-media recruitment, betting credits, and mobile-wallet transfers. Those are the same digital layers that the new law was designed to bring within the country’s gambling enforcement framework.