Bangladesh likely to ban PUBG Mobile and Free Fire over 'gaming addiction': Report

Bangladesh is banning access to two of the most popular mobile games, PUBG Mobile and Garena Free Fire as they are causing “gaming addiction” among children and young adults, reported Bangladeshi publication Daily Manab Zamin. As per the report, the government has already suggested the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to take the required measures for discontinuing both PUBG and Free Fire on the recommendation of the Bangladeshi Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Reportedly, the rising addiction to mobile games among kids was raised at the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications and the influence of PUBG and Free Fire was taken into account. As per the report, recently, the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Subscribers Association also called for urgent measures to control the popularity of both games. The media publication further stated that the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has stated that both the games have created addiction among teenagers and young adults.

‘Steps will be taken in healthy and alternative way’

The media report also stated that sudden discontinuation of PUBG and Free Fire could have triggered an adverse reaction, therefore, the Bangladeshi government has decided to take the steps to stop the games ‘in a healthy and alternative way.’ As per Daily Manab Zamin, those young adults who are addicted to such games can get access through alternative ways including VPN. Further, the president of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Users Association, Mohiuddin Ahmed also expressed his concerns and said, “While we are relentlessly working to get the next generation of young people to have access to high-speed internet, the next generation has gone astray by abusing technology, which has made us think.” 

In September 2020, India banned 118 Chinese mobile applications including PUBG Mobile for posing a threat to the country’s sovereignty due to its links with China. The IT Ministry had said at the time, "The compilation of this data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures."

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