Proliferation of teen gangs causes concern

 

Live Correspondent: The menace of teen gangs continues to grow across the country, particularly in Dhaka, with the gangsters getting involved in various crimes, including robbery, murder, rape, and drug trade.

Such gangs are active in almost all residential areas in the capital, causing concern for people as well as law enforcement agencies.

According to police and Rapid Action Battalion, over 50 juvenile gangs are currently active in the capital. ‘Disco Boys’, ‘Power Boys’, ‘Bichchhu Bahini’, ‘Don Group’, ‘Munna Group’, ‘Black Cobra’, ‘Nine Star’, ‘Jim-Jihad Group’, ‘Shanto Group’, ‘Arafat Group’, ‘Kamal Group’ and ‘Ansar Group’ are some of the gangs to be named.

The gangs, each usually having 10-15 members, are involved in trading in drugs apart from being addicted to them.

Some members even carry illegal firearms and homemade weapons that they use in their turf wars. Taking control of an area of operation is the main reason for the fights. They drive motorcycles recklessly and honk needlessly and use filthy language.

Local ruling party leaders, Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad, and Municipality chairmen and councilors allegedly patronize the teen gangs.

Teenage gangs are sometimes used by political parties to settle their own scores with their political rivals.

The teenage gangs earn money from drug trading as well as committing petty crimes such as robbing pedestrians.

Following the rise in juvenile crimes and teen gangs, the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order is now considering reducing the age limit of children/minors from 18.

The committee's chief, Minister for Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Haque, said this in a briefing after a meeting recently. In the wake of some recent events, this issue was discussed in the meeting.

In the capital, a number of teen gangs, including ‘biker gangsters’, are also desperate in different areas,               including Uttara, Dakkhinkhan, Old Dhaka, Dhanmondi, Hatirjheel, and Khilgaon, police said.

They said teenagers are getting involved in various crimes, including stalking of girls, clashes,es, and extortion.

Police and RAB arrested many of the gang members several times, but they again got involved in crimes after their release from jail on bail.

Experts have blamed the weakening role of the family, lack of moral lessons at home and school, absence of recreational activities, and both social and cultural degradation for the involvement of teenagers in criminal activities.

Meanwhile, a teenage boy was stabbed to death by another teen at Kathalbagan in the capital on Thursday night allegedly over a mobile phone.

The victim, 15-year-old Md Shipon, lived with his family at the staff quarters in Green Road. He used to work as a refrigerator repairman.

According to his father Mojibur Rahman, Swadhin, a suspected addict, called Shipon out of their home around 10:00 pm and stabbed him.

He was found in a pool of blood by Kathalbagan Bazar Mosque around 10:30 pm and taken to nearby Green Life Medical College Hospital. Later, Shipon was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the attending doctor declared him dead, his father said.

Mojibur later filed a case against four people over the incident, said Saiful Islam, officer-in-charge of Kalabagan Police Station.

Police subsequently arrested Swadhin, his wife, his brother Rabbi, and their mother.

Recently, a meeting on the law and order in Khulna underscored the need for launching a joint drive against criminals, including drug traders, gamblers, muggers, and teen gangs, to combat crimes in the district, including the city.

“Crimes against women and children are increasing in society. The destructive activities of so-called juvenile gangs are also on the rise,” said Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Md Moniruzzaman Talukder while presiding over the meeting.

On Wednesday, police arrested 23 members of a juvenile gang in a special drive in Senbug Upazila of Noakhali.

Senbug Police Station OC Iqbal Hossain Patwari said they arrested the juvenile gang members in various areas of the Upazila.

On June 7, RAB members arrested two members of a teen gang in Sylhet over the snatching of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw.

On May 23, a court in Khulna sentenced 17 teenagers to seven-year imprisonment for killing a seven grader in Khulna city in 2018.

On March 1, a group of 25-30 teenagers was beating up another teenager named Sainan Hossain, a student of SFX Greenherald International School, at Dhanmondi-32.

When his classmate Rakesh Chakma came to save him, one of the gang members stabbed Rakesh, leaving him injured. The attack was carried out as Sainan protested the stalking of his female classmate by Abu Safat, one of the gang members, a few days ago.

Locals said the attackers usually gather at 6/A and 15/A of Dhanmondi every day.

They tease girls of schools and colleges. They often get locked in clashes with other groups over establishing supremacy. Sometimes, they drive motorcycles recklessly and honk needlessly. Elder people are afraid of teen gangs.

Dhaka, 14 October (campuslive24.com)//BSC

---

---