Crackdowns alone cannot rein in teen gangs for long

As a nation, we tend to address deep-rooted social problems only at the surface level. After 13-year-old Oprotim was murdered by members of a teenage gang in Cumilla, our immediate reaction was to blame the victim and his parents, particularly his mother, for what many described as her “failure” to raise him properly. Some even rushed to offer unsolicited parenting advice on social media. Few, however, seemed interested in asking the questions that actually matter: Why are our children getting involved with violent gangs during the years they should be focused on education and personal development? Who are patronising these groups? And what have we done to protect them from harm’s way?

Over the past few years, reports of teen gang violence have surged across the country, spreading from Dhaka and Chattogram to districts like Manikganj, Khulna, Chandpur, and Noakhali. These groups of children are not only engaged in occasional street fights. Police and intelligence sources say they are increasingly involved in extortion, drug peddling, territorial control, and even land grabbing. In Dhaka alone, police have identified 127 teen gangs. In Chattogram, roughly 200 gangs with at least 1,400 members are active and are responsible for at least 548 criminal incidents over the last six years. The brutality of their actions is escalating to unthinkable levels. On September 29, in Chattogram, a 16-year-old boy named Hridoy was stabbed to death over an internal gang dispute. His ears were cut off before he was stabbed.

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Faced with this growing challenge, the state’s default response has been to conduct sweeping crackdowns. In Cumilla, teenage gangs emerged as a major problem around 2015 when only a few groups were active, but their number has grown exponentially since then. According to police, gang members have since been linked to numerous crimes, including at least 12 killings and more than 100 other incidents between 2017 and 2025, as well as at least 25 notable crimes in the first eight and a half months of this year. Their alleged activities include murder, extortion, drug dealing, mugging, motorcycle theft, and carrying weapons. Recent drives in Cumilla saw at least 2,035 young people detained in just five phases. Of them, 1,409 were warned and released to their guardians, and 626 were sent to court.

As the crackdown on teenage gangs continues, we must ask if mass arrests are enough to stop these gangs. Experiences say they are not. Many of the gang leaders and members arrested recently have histories of committing serious crimes, including murder. Cumilla’s notorious “R Squad” (or “Ratan Group”) has made headlines for years over public displays of weapons and attempted murders. Its main organiser, 25-year-old Imran Hossain alias Ratan, has nine cases against him, including a murder case, while his close associate Saiful Islam faces 10 cases. They were out on bail before being arrested in Cox’s Bazar. The impunity they enjoyed emboldened them further.

More importantly, crackdowns are bound to fail when they only target the teenage gang members while ignoring their patrons. The chief whip of parliament recently declared that teen gangs would be eradicated within three months. But is it possible to do so if the political elites who actively use these teenagers to wield power are exempt from such crackdowns? Furthermore, such rhetoric feels less like a solution and more like an attempt to appease the public.

While it is encouraging that police authorities have finally instructed field-level officers to investigate the influential individuals behind these gangs, law enforcement must follow through and keep the public updated. They must also monitor how new members are recruited and why those released on bail again return to crime.

In some recent violent incidents, including the hours-long attack on the Radda health centre, the presence of juveniles was noticeable—dozens among around 150 people involved in the attack. Teenagers were also involved in the recent Adabor attack. In Chattogram, police have identified 64 “big brothers” who provide patronage or protection to teenage groups. In Cumilla, Imran Hossain alias Ratan of the “Ratan Group” was seen walking closely behind the vice-president of the Cumilla city unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal in a procession. Such scenes exemplify how these gangs thrive on political patronage.

So, what happens after the mass arrests? Our justice and rehabilitation system for juvenile crimes seems largely unequipped to handle the influx. In Cumilla, at least 27 recently detained teenagers were sent to the Tongi Child Development Centre, which is already running beyond capacity, while the Cumilla Central Jail is currently housing 3,500 inmates against a capacity of 1,500. Furthermore, a recent investigation by The Daily Star revealed widespread abuse, severe overcrowding, and inadequate mental health support at these centres. Unless these facilities are transformed into safe spaces providing education, counselling, and vocational training, mass arrests will do nothing to rehabilitate juvenile offenders. Moreover, in case of those who were released to the custody of family members, is that the end of the state’s responsibility? What, if anything, is done to rehabilitate them?

Research on juvenile delinquency worldwide has found that family problems, lack of parental supervision, delinquent peers, poor academic performance, school disengagement, substance abuse, and poverty can contribute to delinquent behaviour. However, these factors do not make criminal behaviour inevitable; they make children more vulnerable to it. A March 2024 survey by Chattogram city police found that 54 percent of students who were regularly absent from school were involved in criminal activities, including pornography, cybercrime, mugging, theft, drug use and dealing, and online gambling.

Besides education, other constructive activities are important. For many families, even providing for education is hard, let alone sports, music, art, or other activities for their children. How many of our neighbourhoods have safe playgrounds, libraries, youth clubs, or other spaces where teenagers can spend their time constructively? Psychologists say that these activities can help children develop social skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging. If we want children to stay away from gangs, we must also ask what meaningful alternatives the state is offering them.

Young people can achieve a lot when they have a sense of purpose. The students who took to the streets during the 2018 road safety movement demonstrated immense capacity for constructive social organisation. Young people were also at the centre of the 2024 student-led anti-quota movement that evolved into the July uprising. When children’s energy and desire to belong are not channelled into constructive activities, they can be exploited. Should we leave our children vulnerable to such an outcome?

If we fail to address the underlying causes of growing teenage violence in the country, we will continue treating the symptoms while allowing the real problem to go unchecked.

Naznin Tithi is a member of the editorial team at The Daily Star.

Views expressed in this article are the author's own. 

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