Dhaka-The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday stayed a High Court order that directed the government to stop playing gambling in the form of bingo, dice, and card games in 13 renowned clubs including Dhaka club.A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha also directed the High Court to dispose of its earlier rules by eight weeks that asked the government, the police and the clubs to explain why legal action should not be taken for arranging unlawful business in the name of indoor games like Cards, Dice and Housie for earning money.
The apex court came up with the order following a leave to appeal petition filed by Dhaka Club authorities challenging the HC order.
On December 4, a High Court bench of Justice Quamrul Islam Siddiqui and Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif banned gambling at the 13 clubs.
The clubs are: Dhaka Club, Dhaka Ladies Club, Officers Club in Dhaka, Uttara Club, Gulshan Club, Dhanmondi Club, Banani Club, Cadet College Club, Chittagong Club, Chittagong Seniors’ Club, Narayanganj Club, Sylhet Club, and Khulna Club.
The petitioners’ counsel Redwan Ahmed submitted in the court that playing of bingo, dice and card games is one kind of public gambling which are punishable offences under the Public Gambling Act 1867, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance and Chittagong Metropolitan Police Ordinance.-STAFF REPORTER
