Geneva Camp in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area, known as the largest of the 115 camps for Urdu-speaking individuals stranded in Bangladesh since the Liberation War, spans merely 15 acres but accommodates over 55,000 residents.
Many of these residents are reportedly linked to drug-related and other criminal activities, creating security challenges for Mohammadpur and surrounding areas. Clashes stemming from dominance disputes within the camp have become a regular occurrence.
Following the fall of the Awami League government, a surge in violence tied to drug trafficking and dominance struggles resulted in seven fatalities, including children.
Earlier this year, conflicts among drug dealers claimed the lives of eight more, including two children, leaving over a hundred injured.
Reports allege that on 5 August, with the news of Sheikh Hasina's government's collapse, Geneva Camp’s drug traffickers looted Mohammadpur and Adabor police stations after police reportedly fled in fear.
The looted weapons and ammunition are now allegedly used in ongoing confrontations that endanger both children and innocent residents.
Conversations with camp residents highlight two prominent groups in the ongoing control struggle over drug operations: one led by Chua Selim, a top yaba trafficker facing at least 60 cases, and another by Bhuiyan Sohel, who has been detained alongside associates in a military operation.
In Sohel’s absence, his brothers Rana and Kumkum continue the drug trade.
Approximately 30 families, known locally as the Syedpuriya, including figures such as Bom, Babu, and Naushad, support Sohel’s operations.
Besides Selim and Sohel’s factions, four other prominent groups also control drug trafficking within the camp, collectively comprising over 300 members.
These include groups led by Arshad, Pichchi Raja, Shahjada, Boro Raja, Pelu Arman, and Munna, each with over 60 members.
Other groups, like those led by Vangari Arju, Tote, Kamran, Saju, Adil, and Faizan, have around 45 members, while Galkata Monu, Shah Alam, Imtiaz, Akram Chorwa Janu, Billu, Sabu, Bashir, and Irfan lead a group of over 55 members.
Another group consists of Babu, Saddam, Monu, Mofiz, Sumon, Raju, Nadim, and Jambu, totalling about 50 members, with many being youth and teenagers.
The spike in armed demonstrations and killings over the past three months has heightened concerns among law enforcement.
A crackdown has resulted in the arrest of over 150 criminals, including top traffickers, with more than 50 cases filed against them and seizures of weapons and ammunition.
Although the situation has somewhat stabilised, residents remain apprehensive.
In response, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) plans to install CCTV cameras around Geneva Camp to monitor drug-related and criminal activities, covering all entry and exit points. The initiative aims to thwart illegal operations by restricting movement.
The military continues to conduct regular raids to curb weapons displays, utilising dog squads to assist with drug detection and arrests of top traffickers.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Mohammad Ziaul Haque of DMP’s Tejgaon Division noted that two temporary police camps have been established to monitor the area, with suspicious individuals being regularly searched.
Efforts to install CCTV cameras are underway, with plans to cover all entry and exit routes, and the placement assessments have already begun.
Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ali Iftekhar Hasan confirmed that regular operations continue, with arrests and case filings against offenders.
Forty personnel have been deployed to ensure peace in the camp, which, according to him, has seen improvements as a result of these measures.
