report in Dhaka Tribune, Dec 9, 2023
In the streets of the capital’s Agargaon area near Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation building, a daily spectacle unfolds each evening.
A group of eight to nine teenagers, aged between 14 and 18, are seen racing around on bikes. Most of these teens are from lower-income families, with some still pursuing education while others have long abandoned their studies.
Their high-speed biking antics, which sometimes include lifting the front wheel, coupled with boisterous conversations laced with vulgar language, create a commotion that startles onlookers and halts passing cars.
Identified as a teenage gang known as NASA-9, such juvenile gangs are proliferating in Dhaka, causing disturbances to law and order.
On September 8, 2019, the then DMP Commissioner Md. Asaduzzaman Mia issued orders leading to a massive raid across Dhaka city, resulting in the arrest of over 2,000 juvenile gang members across eight police crime zones.
Those accused of drug-related offenses and extortion were brought to court, while others were released to their guardians on bond.
The conditions of the bond emphasized a commitment to cease involvement in juvenile gangs, refrain from evening hangouts, prioritize studies, and engage in cultural activities.
Despite these agreements, a significant number of them re-entered the realm of juvenile gangs, establishing group-based Facebook pages that served as battlegrounds for cyber wars.
These pages hosted verbal spats and even unveiled an alleged map designating territorial control among different gang factions. Threats, including warnings of trespassing and even death, were exchanged among juvenile gang members.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police sources reveal the presence of 94 active juvenile gangs across the city’s eight police crime zones.
Increase in recent years
Dhaka Metropolitan Police statistics indicate an increase of 16 juvenile gang groups in the last four years, with the Mirpur area showing a higher concentration of active gangs.
At the same time, many previous gangs have become inactive day by day.
However, they have not completely disappeared. Many older gangs are on the verge of disbanding due to age dominance, conflicts over sharing of money in the group, conflicts over seniority, marriages, group leaders moving from one area to another and some moving abroad.
Breaking down the statistics, Tejgaon Division houses 16 juvenile gang groups, Mirpur 25, Uttara 13, Gulshan 3, Wari 8, Motijheel 13, Ramna 10, and Lalbagh 6.
Further analysis reveals specific areas with concentrated gang activities.
For instance, Mirpur police station area has 8 juvenile gang groups, Mohammadpur 6, Adabar 3, Tejgaon industrial area 2, Hatirjheel 2, and Sherbanglanagar 1. Similarly, Uttara West Police Station area hosts 4 juvenile gang groups, Uttara East 2, Dakshinkhane 2, Turaga 2, and Uttaran 3.
Wari police station area has 3 juvenile gang groups, Kadmatoli 2, Gendaria 2, and Demra in Wari police division 2.
Motijheel Division comprises 2 juvenile gangs in Motijheel police station area, 6 in Mugda, 1 in Rampura, 1 in Shahjahanpur, and 2 in Sabujbagh.
In Ramna Division, there is 1 juvenile gang in Ramna Thana area, 1 in Shahbagh, 1 in Kalabagan, and 5 in Hazaribagh. Lalbagh police station area has 2 juvenile gangs, Chakbazar police station area 1, and Kamrangichar under Lalbagh police division has 2 gangs.
Some notable gangs
Of these, Gangchil, under Mohammadpur police station in Tejgaon zone, is composed of 19 members.
Nine Star Group operates in Sector 12 under Uttara West police station of Uttara Zone, engaging in nightly bike races from Uttara to Khilkhet despite multiple arrests.
The D-3 gang in Gulshan police station area has split into two groups due to conflicts between seniors and juniors.
Additionally, the Baga Hriday Group is active in Mirpur police station area, controlling the Porabasti area of Kalyanpur only in the evening.
In Hazaribagh area of Ramna zone, the Lovelane gang controls Nilambar Saha Road, while the Liton Group, active in Kadmatoli police station area of Wari zone, faces allegations of extortion in the region.
What the law enforcers say
Authorities are actively engaged in curbing the rise of these gangs, with Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) B Mahid Uddin asserting that legal action will be taken against any gang.
“No matter the small gang or the big gang in Dhaka, action will be taken against him if he violates the law,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of RAB’s law and media department, also affirmed RAB’s role in apprehending juvenile gangs and handing them over to the legal system.
“The RAB has caught these juvenile gangs and handed them over to police on several occasions,” he mentioned.
What the experts say
Dr M Ziaur Rahman, a professor at the Department of Criminology at the University of Dhaka, offers insights into the behavior of adolescents aged 14 to 18.
According to Ziaur Rahman, youngsters in this age group often resist authority and disregard restrictions, viewing their actions as right. They struggle to differentiate between good and bad, and the novelty of their experiences can lead to a lack of understanding.
He said: “At this age, adolescents become more resistant to interruptions and restrictions, which can escalate into various problems and pave the way for their involvement in misdeeds. The lack of guidance and intervention during this crucial phase allows them to be influenced by external factors, leading to anti-social behavior.”
Dr Waheeda Parven, a psychologist, added another layer to this understanding, emphasizing that adolescents at this age are prone to imitating the behavior of others.
“They adopt eating habits, speech patterns, and overall behavior from their peers, hoping to align themselves with a certain image,” she said.
Dr Parven pointed out that many adolescents engaged in street misconduct learn such behavior from their families, perceiving it as normal.
“The desire to instill fear and establish dominance leads them to replicate negative actions, with a distorted mentality that finds pleasure in theft, robbery, rape, drug abuse, and even murder,” she added.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/333341/teenage-turf-wars-mapping-the-territories-of
