Teen gang violence increasing in the country

Over the past few years, teenage casualties of gang violence have been on the rise in Dhaka.

On September 09, police arrested eight teenagers from Dakkhin Khan area of the city for the murder of Mehedi Hasan Shuvo (17) on August 31. Police also found the switchblade used to kill Shuvo.

Police revealed that the deceased Shuvo was from 'Shanto Group' and his killers were from a rival group led by one Arafat. During a scuffle between the two groups, Shuvo was stabbed and beaten up with sticks. He died at Kurmitola General Hospital.

Police noted that there are at least five different teenage gangs only in Dakkhin Khan area. Most gang members are between the ages of 16 and 24 years and hail from higher and upper middle income families. As some of them are addicted to drugs, they are involved in various crimes like extortion, stalking, mugging and so on to support their habit.

Similar gangs are also active in other parts of Dhaka including Uttara, Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Banani, Mohammadpur, Mirpur and more.

Gang rivalries have spread to other parts of the country. Chottogram was shocked following the murder of Chittagong Collegiate School student Adnan Isfar (15) on January 16 of this year. Isfar was stabbed to death following an argument over a cricket match.

On January 20, seventh grader Fawmid Tanvir Rajim was stabbed to death during a concert at Khulna Public College in Khulna. Rajim had protested against the bullying of two of his classmates by members of 'Golden Boys' gang.

The issue of gang culture in Bangladesh came to light after the murders of Adnan Kabir and Al Amin in Dhaka in 2017.

Apart from the police, parents have a role to play in curbing this menace. They need to know what their children are doing, who their friends and companions are and how they are spending their leisure times.

Akibul Javed,

Indira Road, Dhaka