- Garena remains silent amid growing criticism, tax evasion allegations, and the controversial conclusion of the Free Fire World Series Bangladesh 2026 Spring after the LAN finals were cancelled.
- Despite Bangladesh officially recognizing esports and forming a committee to draft policies aligned with IOC guidelines, Garena appears to be operating under its own set of rules.
Garena has allegedly been found to be in gross violation of the Bangladesh High Court Division’s ruling after some shocking events surfaced. Amid the government ban on the game, imposed in 2021, Garena continues its operations and organises a LAN event for the ongoing Free Fire World Series Bangladesh 2026 Spring, which was set to take place in the heart of the capital. Netizens are criticising Garena’s actions as “felonious”; thus, the legal enforcement authorities should take immediate action. However, violating the regulations also threatens players’ (most of whom are minors) security, as they may face charges by the government, as similar incidents have taken place before.
Illegal event with strong social media presence: Audacity of Garena
Despite the ongoing verbose criticisms against the company, no statement has been released so far. What’s even more shocking is that the National Board of Revenue claims Garena is evading a large amount of taxes, jointly by both Garena’s foreign and local officials in Bangladesh. The crisis and controversy deepened as the organisers concluded the Free Fire World Series Bangladesh 2026 Spring. Players were made to play from their hotel rooms instead of the LAN finals arena, which was cancelled a couple of days ago.
Reportedly, the event will send the top two teams to the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Saudi Arabia. While these direct slots are signs of a recognised community with over seven million players in Bangladesh, Garena’s actions remain in question regarding their unwillingness to show respect to the legal system.
The event maintains a strong social media presence as well. Updates, trailers, sneak peeks, and heated moments are being posted regularly, all under the nose of the country’s law enforcement agencies. This “audacious” activity not only concerns the question of law but also the security of these young athletes who play with big dreams to reach the international stage, but instead ended up in jail. This seems to be an ignorable issue for Garena.
Bangladesh recognised esports, yet Garena fails to comply
If the issues were connected with other games following similar patterns, there would have been a point for Garena for non-compliance. While the other games and apps are going through proper channels, Garena chooses to use the back door. But this will have a heavy impact on the overall esports culture in Bangladesh. As the scene continues to grow, community demand is also in favour of legal rules, indicating that the game should abide by them.
On the other side of the coin, the Ministry of Youth and Sports recognised esports officially and made a committee in charge to make a draft policy on how the sector will be steered, following guidelines by the International Olympic Committee. But Garena seems to have already developed its own rules.
Free Fire was banned in Bangladesh years back, some made a return, other choose overshadowing rules
The ban on Free Fire dates back to 2021, when the human rights organization Law and Life filed a writ petition, and the High Court Division (HCD) of Bangladesh ordered a ban on the game. Later, the country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (BTCL) blocked the game from all available mobile networks and internet gateways. Besides the game, some other apps and games, including “PUBG Mobile,” were also banned. Later in 2025, Garena posted a job listing for a Senior Associate in Esports Operations in Dhaka, Bangladesh, showing signs of a possible rerun.
While PUBG Mobile has managed to complete the legal procedures, Garena didn’t show any interest at all. With growing concerns about player security and the integrity of the company, fingers are pointed towards Mr Cheng Shen Diu Diu, the Hiring Manager of Garena Free Fire in Bangladesh, who seems to have disappeared for the time being.
Esports in Bangladesh has a vast market and a promising future. The government, besides recognising the form of entertainment, also plans to provide policy and development support to the esports community. But such acts from Garena officials in Bangladesh undoubtedly create an adverse situation, which, in the long run, will severely affect the growth.
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What do you think of the issue that Garena ignores the High Court ruling? Let us know in the comments!
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