Senior police officials report that legal complications, manpower shortages, and inadequate infrastructure are hindering efforts to address the growing menace of teenage gangs. They highlight that restrictions on the prosecution and detention of juvenile offenders present a particular challenge.

Under the Children Act 2013, offenders aged 18 or below must be sent to juvenile development centres and cannot be tried by mobile courts or in regular courts or kept in jail in the same manner as adults, officials said.

They also highlighted administrative challenges in preserving specialized training for officers who manage juvenile offenders. Officials noted that officers trained for these specific cases are frequently transferred or reassigned to different duties, which complicates efforts to sustain institutional capacity.

DMP Additional Police Commissioner Mohammad Osman Gani, in charge of Crime and Operations, recently told the Dhaka Tribune that a lack of family education was a major reason behind juvenile crime.

“Parents need to know where their children go after leaving home in the evening. If parents become more aware, juvenile crime will gradually decline,” he said.

He stated that children and juveniles could not be dealt with through mobile courts, tried in regular courts, or kept in jail in the same manner as adults. He added that this places a greater responsibility on families to prevent juvenile crime.

The challenges have come under renewed scrutiny following the recovery of the body of 13-year-old Ishayat Shahriar alias Opratim in Comilla on September 20.

Since then, law enforcement agencies have reportedly been arresting 200 to 300 teenage gang members almost daily as part of ongoing drives.

According to the latest available information, a total of 1,672 people have thus far been detained or arrested in Comilla during operations targeting teenage gangs and local troublemakers.

Earlier, on April 12, Emon Hossain, also known as Alex Emon—who led the Mohammadpur-based “Alex Group” and faced 18 criminal cases—was hacked to death in public. Top criminal Imam ul Hasan Helal, alias Pichchi Helal, was named as an accused in the resulting murder case.

On September 15, Farhad, who allegedly led the “Patali Group” under the direction of Pichchi Helal, was shot and hacked to death inside a saloon located in Arshinagar, Keraniganj.

Teenage gang culture has become increasingly entrenched in Dhaka and other parts of the country in recent years. While the identities of underworld godfathers and criminals are often known, those allegedly providing patronage to teenage gangs largely remain beyond the reach of law enforcement.

Operating under various names, these gangs have spread fear across neighbourhoods through alleged involvement in establishing territorial dominance, theft, mugging, extortion, drug dealing, and even murder over trivial disputes. Some gangs also use social media pages to announce attacks on rival groups.

According to DMP sources, more than half of the individuals on its list of criminal gangs are 20 years old or younger, with approximately one in six under the age of 18.

The DMP list contains information on 122 active gangs in the capital. Mirpur has the highest number of gangs, while Mohammadpur leads in terms of violence.

Of the 893 gang members whose ages are recorded, 152, or 17 percent, are under 18, while 322, or 36 percent, are between the ages of 18 and 20. In total, 474 members, or 53 percent, are aged 20 or below.

The list identifies extortion, mugging, robbery, eve-teasing, drug dealing and contract killings among the gangs' criminal activities. The gangs allegedly receive political patronage and support from notorious criminals.

Social and crime experts say teenagers are increasingly becoming involved in serious crimes, with underworld criminals and politically influential groups allegedly using them to carry out criminal activities.

They say influential individuals recruit teenagers for drug dealing, illegal occupation and other offences. Impressionable teenagers, encouraged by local or political patronage, become involved in crime to demonstrate their power.

The growing gang culture has also left parents increasingly worried about their adolescent children.

Inspector General of Police Ali Hossain Fakir told a meeting at Police Headquarters on Tuesday that a criminal's only identity was that of a criminal, adding that drug dealers, terrorists and extortionists must be brought to justice.

“There is no scope for considering political identity in this regard,” he said, adding that appropriate legal action must also be taken against juvenile offenders.

Reiterating the police's zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, the police chief stressed the need to ensure public participation through community policing.

Zakaria Zaman, a Class X student at Mohammad Preparatory School and College on Iqbal Road, is regularly accompanied to and from school by his mother, Shirin Akhter.

“I have no end to my worries about my son. Since we live in Mohammadpur, the fear is greater. I spend much of the day taking him to school and tuition classes because I am afraid he might fall into bad company,” she told Dhaka Tribune.

She said juvenile crime was increasing and urged the government to take stronger measures to protect children.

“If juvenile crime cannot be contained, all our efforts will fail,” she said.

Afreen Begum, mother of Md Abdullah, a Class VII student at Dhanmondi Government Boys’ High School, said she now kept a close watch on her son.

“We are very worried about our children, so I keep an eye on him. I also make sure he does not become friends with bad company. The Comilla incident has increased our fears,” she said, urging parents to remain vigilant about their children's friends and whereabouts.

A 2025 survey conducted by the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) found that approximately 8.3 million people in Bangladesh were addicted to drugs.

According to the survey, most drug users were men, with 7.76 million male and 285,000 female addicts. It also estimated that 255,000 children and adolescents were addicted to drugs.

Md Manzurul Islam, deputy director and researcher at DNC Chittagong Metro (South), told the Dhaka Tribune that children were being used to commit crimes, including concealing yaba pills in their bodies and trafficking drugs.

“Children are less likely to be suspected and can be used for lower wages. Many become addicted after being recruited as drug carriers,” he said.

He said some parents took their children along when carrying or trafficking drugs to avoid attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies. Exposure to such activities, he said, could gradually normalise drug use and lead to addiction among children.

Drug abuse was another major factor behind the rise in juvenile crime, he said, adding that the limited scope for taking strong legal action against children also contributed to the problem.

Dhaka University Associate Professor Dr Towohidul Haque told Dhaka Tribune that poverty, inadequate family and social education, and drug abuse were driving the spread of teenage gangs across the country.

He said police operations alone would not be enough to address the crisis. Those financing criminal activities, operating drug networks and providing political patronage must be brought to justice, while families, educational institutions and local communities need to strengthen preventive measures.

He said police had been unable to remain fully active in the field since August 5 and had faced attacks while conducting operations in some areas.

He called for coordinated action against teenage gangs and stressed the need for political leaders to play a stronger role in combating crime and maintaining law and order.

Why it matters

Addressing the rising menace of teenage gangs and juvenile crime is critical for maintaining public security and law enforcement efficacy across urban areas in Bangladesh.