The Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced in Parliament on Monday that the government will launch a nationwide, coordinated crackdown on gambling, online betting, and narcotics starting after April 30.

Responding to a notice raised by lawmaker Zainul Abdin Farroque regarding the proliferation of illegal shisha lounges in upscale areas of the capital, the minister stated that law enforcement agencies are already conducting special operations to shut down these establishments. Operating under the guise of restaurants, cafes, and residential buildings, these lounges are actively being targeted by police intelligence and crime divisions.

Under the Narcotics Control Act of 2018, shisha is legally classified as a Class B narcotic in Bangladesh. Salahuddin emphasized that the government views drug abuse as a severe national crisis and maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy.

He noted that while some lounge owners previously filed writ petitions to halt the closures, the Appellate Division recently revoked interim orders protecting them, clearing the way for uninterrupted enforcement. Following directives from the Home Ministry, the Department of Narcotics Control and police recently seized shisha and hookahs during raids in Dhaka’s affluent Gulshan neighborhood.

The minister added that the Dhaka North City Corporation has also taken notice of these illegal operations, which he described as harmful to public health and urban discipline. Intelligence surveillance has been heightened to prevent dismantled businesses from reopening under new names or locations.

Warning of severe consequences for anyone involved, Salahuddin stated that even police personnel found complicit in facilitating these illegal operations will face strict disciplinary action.

The broader nationwide campaign against drugs and gambling will commence immediately after the current parliamentary session concludes late this month, an initiative the minister stressed is vital for protecting the country’s youth.