Juvenile crime is gradually increasing in the capital. The rise of young gangs has grown tiresome to the locals. The majority of young gang members used to be poor and slum dwellers. Nowadays, the children of middle-class working families have joined them. Most of them are 18 to 22 years old. There are allegations against them of involvement in various crimes including drug consumption and theft. Many of them are involved in cases like drug dealing, land seizing and even murder.
On the night of March 22, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested 43 members of the 'Kishor gang' during a raid in Mohammadpur, Hazaribagh, Sherebangla Nagar and Tejgaon areas of the capital.
The senior assistant director of RAB-2, who is leading this operation, ASP Md. Fazlul Haque said, " We brought the "Kishor gang" group under surveillance due to the increase in robberies in different areas in Dhaka. These arrested youth gang members had been robbing people of money, gold ornaments, mobile phones and laptops by threatening them with weapons for quite a few days. There are cases against them in multiple police stations.”
This RAB official also said, "In the initial interrogation, these 43 people admitted that they are members of 'Kishor Gang'. Even in crowded areas of Dhaka, these teenagers would suddenly surround the pedestrians and rob their wallets, money, gold ornaments, mobile handsets, laptops and other items before anyone around could react."
Moreover, these individuals engage in a number of criminal activities, such as rushing to seize land or property on behalf of local land robbers. The RAB-2 officer also said that in order to maintain their group's supremacy, the gang members engage in a variety of conflicts, including fights with other juvenile gangs.
According to police sources, besides theft and robbery, many members of this gang are accused in multiple murder cases. In 2019, a woman named Renu was beaten to death on suspicion of being a kidnapper while she was just enrolling her child in school. Among the accused in the murder case, 19 were adolescents.
Law enforcement officials and experts believe that juvenile crime is increasing due to power and drug trade. They say that some of the influential political leaders and drug dealers indulge these teenage members because of their affiliation. However, law and order forces have taken various steps to prevent juvenile crime.
Dr. Zia Rahman, Professor of Criminology Department of University of Dhaka, told The Report.Live, "It is important to find out the reasons why they are repeatedly involved in these crimes. Necessary steps must be taken after finding out the reason."
He believes that the availability of drugs, lack of social engagement, distance from family, lack of adequate playgrounds in the capital, and lack of entertainment facilities are turning these juveniles towards crime.
Translated by C.M. Farzana Akther (Junior Sub-editor)
