If Bitcoin is not controlled by the state, how come in some countries it is illegal? From my understanding, Bitcoin is decentralized and not controlled by any company or organization (so, for example, no bank is behind Bitcoin).

However, this seems to not be powerful enough to resist to the country laws.

There are quite a few countries where Bitcoin is illegal, for example, Bangladesh:


  In September 2014, Bangladesh Bank said that "anybody caught using the virtual currency could be jailed under the country's strict anti-money laundering laws"


So, why is the fact that Bitcoin is not controlled by governments/organizations/banks/etc so important, if the government can actually say don't use Bitcoin and it becomes illegal?

As one who has bitcoins, what should I do if my country will Bitcoin one day?
A party can send a hexadecimal string to another party and nobody in the world can prove bitcoin or any form of money was sent. Governments can ban bitcoin usage but the bitcoin protocol is indistinguishable and can be implemented using plain speech, so it would be a matter of banning freedom of speech.