Teenage gangs are creating social problems in the capital city and across the country for quite sometimes. They are involved in various crimes, including robbery, rape and turf war, drug dealings and abuse, extortion, theft, eve teasing and even murder. These ferocious gangs are being run by school or college students of the neighbourhood.
Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed on Monday said, "Teenage gangs are now a big problem. We don't want them to spoil their lives by taking drugs.
He also requested parents to monitor their children to ensure their wellbeing, he said this at a programme organized to mark the celebration of Bangabandhu's birth centenary at Rab Headquarters.
"Parents have to be aware of where their children go, what they do and who they mingle with. Parents have to take this responsibility," said the IGP
IGP expressed his concern over children's involvement in teen gang culture, drug use and other crimes and asked all to fulfill their responsibilities to save the children.
Benazir asked for initiating a social movement to prevent juvenile gang culture until the facilities are in places.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) cracked down on such gangs across the country and 400 teenagers were detained in the last two years.
Over 300 of them were later handed over to their parents and the rest were charged with different crimes. Meanwhile, the family members failed to bring members of the teenage gangs back to normal life, police source said.
With the emergence of such gangs, many teenagers are being initiated into crimes at an early stage of life it would be difficult to rehabilitate them, fear experts.
A high official of police HQ told the Daily Observer that in a report mentioned that around 60 teenage gangs are active in the capital while in the port city of Chattogram, there are around a hundred such gangs.
At least 88 people have been killed by teenage gangs over the last 15 years across the country including Dhaka city. A teenage boy was stabbed to death and two others were injured following an altercation in Dhaka's Mohakhali area in January. The deceased was Arif Hossain, 16, a Class IX student of a local school.
The injured teenagers are Hasan and Sohag, and they are undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police arrested a young man and a teenager girl in this connection.
Most of them are children and school-going children of middle and upper-class families. Lower middle class and uneducated teenagers are also in the group having at least 20 to 25 members each.
Teenage gangs operate under the patronage of local ruling party leaders who act as influential 'elder brothers.' In the last six months, over a dozen people have reportedly been killed by juvenile suspects, RAB souce said.
According to intelligences sources these gangs mainly organize 'parties,' drive motorcycles at high speed and harass girls on the roads. The members of this group are between 13 and 18 years-of-age. Though the crackdown on the teen gangs was halted due to legal complications, plans are afoot to launch another operation, according to law enforcement agencies.
According to sources, gang culture is currently found in 64 districts of the country. Law enforcement has already launched an investigation into these groups.
Some members of the group, reluctant to disclose their names, said they had joined the gang to hold sway over their area. Besides, some were forced to get involved. Many are also getting involved for the 'trend of heroism.'
The recent surge in teen-gang violence has apparently become a major concern for law enforcement authorities also.
The murder of youth Rifat Sharif in Barguna in June 26, 2019, was an alarming outcome of the teen-gang culture, police said. Ayesha Siddika Minni, widow of slain Rifat, and five others have recently been sentenced to death for killing the youth in broad daylight in Barguna in June last year.
Police authorities, criminologists and sociologists stressed the need for a social awareness movement, the family to give the children adequate quality time, teaching them to inculcate moral values, increasing physical and recreational activities, identifying and properly booking the gang members and, proper correctional activities to get out of the situation.
Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed on Monday said the Kalabagan incident was an out-and-out crime. Rape happened there, causing death.
According to court order there are several rules of taking teenages into police custody. Judgment on them is held under the child court. Teenagers are also taken to juvenile correction centers, IGP said.
"We don't have adequate number of child courts and juvenile correction centers in the country," he said.
