Teenagers from affluent families are also getting involved in juvenile gangs, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) said.
"We once thought that children from floating and low-income families were getting involved in juvenile gangs. But now it is seen that the children of the upper middle class, the rich are getting involved in these activities," DMP DB Chief Harun-or-Rashid said while talking to reporters at the DB headquarters on Wednesday (6 March ).
“DB has arrested 75 juvenile gang members in the last two days in a joint operation in Tejgaon, Gulshan, Uttara and Motijheel areas of the capital. Kids from affluent families are also getting involved with teen gangs. They are getting involved in incidents like fights and murders,” he added.
According to the DB, Young Star, Big Boss, Disco Boys, Bandhu Mahal, Sheel Vishu Gang, Parvez Group, Rustom Group, Young Star Group, NineMM Group, and Nine Star Group have been causing nuisance in the Uttara area of the capital.
The members of the Ujjal group were arrested during raids in the Rampura area.
These juvenile gang groups have been committing various crimes including drug-related crimes and extortion.
Some of these gangs have been operating under older criminals, police said.
“In the past two years, 34 teenagers have been killed in gang attacks,” DMP DB chief said.
“These teen gangs have become a disease. Due to their violence, the peace and order of the society is being destroyed. They are robbing, eve-teasing, threatening, intimidating school and college girls and causing distress. They do these things in groups. They have been spreading influence in different areas of the capital under different names,” he added.
“Kids from rich families first get involved in drug consumption and later in drug dealing. Eventually they get involved in other gang activities,” Harun said.
Deeming the rise of teen gangs as a result of social degradation, the DB official said, “All these teenagers are dropping out of school and getting involved in bad activities like drug use. We are working to prevent these activities. But I think parents should keep track of where their children. Children should be given religious and moral education.”
