Photo: Collected
The rise of teenage gangs has become a significant challenge for law enforcement agencies. These groups are involved in a multitude of criminal activities, including murder, extortion, robbery, assault, drug abuse, land grabbing, and harassment. Their reckless and violent behaviour has instilled fear and a sense of helplessness among local communities.
Controlling and curbing the actions of these teenage gangs has proven to be a challenging task for law enforcement, requiring a comprehensive and strategic approach.
Criminologists say that political parties and local ward councillors use teenagers by tempting them with money and drugs to harass the opposition. As a result, when the teenagers see that they can easily earn Tk 30,000-40,000 per month from this work, they cannot get out of this path.
However, the police say that no matter who the patrons of these gangs are, a full-fledged operation is underway to eradicate them completely.
It is learned from court sources in Dhaka that 86 incidents of murder have taken place in the capital over the past 15 years due to teenage gang culture and senior-junior conflicts.
According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) sources, 34 teenagers were killed in attacks by teenage gangs in the last two years. Of these, they committed 25 murders in Dhaka alone last year. Behind these killings were incidents such as extortion, establishing dominance, protest against harassment of women etc. These killings are carried out in a very cruel manner. After stabbing with knives, they ensure death by beating the whole body, face and head with bricks and sticks. There are even brutal incidents like dismembering the body after death with the intention of hiding it.
According to RAB statistics, the organization has arrested 1,691 teenage gang members since 2017. In January of the current year, 16 people were arrested, 189 in February, 275 in March and 75 in April. And in 2023, 349 people were arrested.
Harun Or Rashid, Additional Commissioner of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said, “Although they are called teenage gangs, there are members aged 15, 16 as well as 25, 26 years. But whatever the name is, we are giving it the highest priority. In the last few days, DMP has been able to stall their movement to a great extent by conducting operations against the teenage gangs. But only legal action will not suffice, it needs to be addressed at the family and social level as well."
He said, “Their activities are very cruel in nature. On the instructions of DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman Sir, DMP is working to stop it by any means. The DMP divisions are regularly monitoring who is patronizing these gangs and why and how they are patronizing them."
Commander Arafat Islam, Director of the Legal and Media Wing of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), said, “RAB's operation against teenage gangs is ongoing. Every unit of RAB is working on this.”
Dr. Qudrat E Khuda, Chairman of the Law Department at Daffodil University, said, "When teenagers commit any crime, most of the time they are kept in juvenile correction or development centres. But there are very limited opportunities for counselling teenagers there. They are just put through nominal rehabilitation programs and then sent back into society. Because of this, they cannot understand their mistakes. As a result, most of the time the teenagers go back to their old lives after returning from there."
He said, “Very often, political parties use teenagers by tempting them with money, drugs, etc. to harass the opposition. When the teenagers see that they can easily earn Tk 30,000-40,000 per month from this work, they cannot get out of this path. Therefore, if the political parties are not sincere, it is not possible to eradicate the area-based gangs that are growing. It is becoming a challenge for the law enforcement agencies to control this."
At least 80 teenage gangs in the capital: According to information provided by the law enforcement agencies, there are more than 80 teenage gangs in the capital alone. Each gang has 15 to 20 members. These include Jewel Bahini, Kamrul Bahini, Atul Bahini, Shahin Sharif, Ganchil Bahini, Bhaskar Bahini, Rubel Bahini, Onik Bahini, Patali Group, Rakib Group, Maura Group, Alex Group, Army Alamgir and Nabi Group, Dailla Group, Anwar Gang, Saifuler Gang, Sabbir Gang, Babu Rajon Gang, Ripon Gang, Mobbarak Gang, Nayan Gang, Talachabi Gang, Nine MM, AK 47 and Five Star Group, Star Bond Group, Molla Rabbir Group, Group Twenty Five, Lara De, Level High, Dekhe Lo-Chine Lo, Lo Thela Group, Ashraf Group, Kopaiya De, Shahin-Ripon Gang, Nazim Uddin Gang, Sha Gang, Mehedi Gang, Soleman Gang, Rassel and Ujjal Gang, Bangla and Lovelet Gang, Jummon Gang, Chan-Jadu, Devil King Full Party, Volume Two, Bhandari Gang, TikTok Gang, Potla Sifat Power Boys, Disco Boys, Big Boss, Nine Star and Nine MM Boys, NNS, FHB, GEU, Cakra, DHB, Back Rose, Rono, Kenaine, Fifteen Gang, Potla Babu, Sujon Fighter, Altaf Zero, Castle Boys, Viper, Tufan, Three Gal Gang, Lagbi Naki, Mainuddin Group, Bihari Rassel Gang, Bicchu Bahini, Picchi Babu, Kobji Kata Group, Rabbi-Baten-Rakib Group and others.
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