Citing severe detrimental effects of online games and their addiction among teenagers and youths, many people, including guardians, have raised voice to ban two online games,‘Free Fire’ and ‘PUBG’ in Bangladesh.
A group of the people formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club in the capital on Tuesday to press home their demand of banning the games in a bid to save the new generation of the country, and keep their academic life safe.
They took part in the human chain under the banner of Sechchhasebok Pother Alo Foundation, a social platform. Convener of the organisation Md Shahidul Islam Saiful presided over the programme.
Secretary General of Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bangladesh NAP) M Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan, president of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Users Association, Mohiuddin Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Manobadhikar Samity, Md Manzur Hossain Isa, joint convener of Sechchhasebok Pother Alo Foundation, Mohsin Munshi and its member secretary, Maruf Sarker spoke at the human chain, among others.
The speakers called upon the government to take immediate action against the two Popular Battle Royale games due to their addictive nature.
In his speech, M Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan said that the two online games are more detrimental than drugs, and the games are spreading among school-going children in the country rapidly. Such games are pushing our next generation towards ruination. The online games must be banned, he added.
Mohiuddin Ahmed said that the guardians are now being compelled to provide internet service, laptop, smartphones and other devices to their children so that they can take part in online classes, which were introduced in the country following the closure of schools, colleges, madrasas and universities due to Covid-19 pandemic.
But many students are now wasting time on many online gaming platforms. Many children are now not obeying their guardians as many of the children are getting addicted to online games, Free Fire and PUBG, he added.
He also said, “We are working to ensure high-speed internet for the young generation in the interest of getting information easily and taking part in online classes smoothly, but many teenagers are abusing technology.
The harmful online games, particularly Free Fire and PUBG, have to be banned in the country to save the school-going children.”
The president of Bangladesh Mobile Phone Users Association cited the recent suicide of a teenager who killed himself following addiction to online games.
The 14-year-old boy named Mamun, committed suicide at Upadi village of Matlab Dakshin Upazila in Chandpur on May 21 after he did not get money from his mother to buy internet data for playing ‘Free Fire Game’ on his mobile phone.
According to reports, the Free Fire became the most downloaded mobile game globally in 2019, while the Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) was first released in 2017 and it became popular among many teenagers in Bangladesh. The PUBG was banned in Nepal and Gujarat of India recently for its harmful impacts.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the Bangladesh government is planning to control the two online games. The Education and Home Affairs ministries discussed the issue. The two ministries want the suspension of the Free Fire and PUBG games in the country due to addiction among teenagers and youths.
However, if any website or app needs to be shut down, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will do that. So the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry’s step is needed in this regard if the government wants to ban the two online games.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister, Mustafa Jabbar said, in today’s world, banning anything is not really a solution. Banning the two online games will not change anything dramatically if parents and children are not aware of the dangers they pose. However, the ministry will take initiative to ban the games if the education and home affairs ministries make recommendations in this regard, he added.
