The growing involvement of adolescents in criminal activities has become an alarming concern in the capital. Teenagers are increasingly engaging in offences such as mugging, illicit garment scrap trading, extortion in the transport sector, drug trafficking, land grabbing, and even targeted killings.
Most of these juveniles operate under various gang cultures. Despite the intensified surveillance of law enforcement agencies, their activities remain largely unchecked. The trend is not limited to Dhaka—juvenile delinquency is on the rise nationwide. According to sources within the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), there are currently 682 active juvenile offenders in the capital, concentrated mainly in high-crime areas such as Mohammadpur, Mirpur, and Demra.
The primary causes behind their involvement in crime include poverty, family breakdown, unemployment, school dropout, and drug addiction. Poverty prevents them from meeting basic needs, leading some to seek quick income through illegal means. The absence of parental affection or guidance and broken families create emotional voids, while unemployment and lack of educational opportunities push many away from mainstream society. Drugs, meanwhile, erode their conscience and self-control, driving them further into crime.
Criminologists share similar views, identifying drug abuse, poverty, poor living standards, family problems, frustration, erosion of social values, inadequate education, and lack of religious or moral guidance as the root causes of juvenile gang formation. Urbanisation has also weakened the traditional extended family system, giving way to nuclear families where teenagers receive less discipline and moral guidance. In addition, some political figures exploit these youths for personal or territorial gain, using them in violent acts. In the past, powerful politicians have been accused of covertly pushing teenagers toward criminal activities.
Gang structure
The “godfathers” of these juvenile gangs often exploit poverty, family weakness, and lack of education by luring teenagers with money, protection, or promises of partnership. Through intermediaries, they monitor schools, sports clubs, and online groups to identify potential recruits. Those inclined toward drugs or easy money are drawn in with offers of alcohol, cannabis, yaba tablets, and cash. To maintain loyalty, the leaders use intimidation, gifts, or material benefits.
The gang hierarchy mirrors that of organised crime syndicates. Each gang has a “leader” or “don” who sets objectives and strategies. Beneath him are “co-leaders” or “senior members,” responsible for recruiting new members, collecting money, controlling territory, and executing plans. At the lowest tier are “junior” or “new members,” who carry out threats, assaults, and minor crimes at the leader’s command. Leadership is maintained through fear, loyalty, and financial incentive. In many cases, major criminals or political figures secretly back these gangs.
Under Bangladeshi law, anyone under 18 who commits a crime is considered a juvenile offender. The maximum punishment for even serious offences like murder is 10 years’ imprisonment. According to UNICEF, Bangladesh has about 36 million adolescents, making up roughly 20% of the total population.
Experts warn that unless swift and effective action is taken against juvenile gangs and their godfathers, social decay may reach critical levels. They note that the relatively light punishments discourage respect for the law, urging immediate legal reform proportionate to the severity of crimes. They also call for establishing proper juvenile detention facilities and modernising correctional centres to make rehabilitation effective. In parallel, a social movement is needed to expose and punish those behind these gangs, ensuring exemplary penalties.
Emergence of juvenile gang culture
The issue first drew national attention after the murder of ninth-grader Adnan Kabir in a clash between two teenage gangs—“Disco Boys” and “Nine Star”—in Uttara, Dhaka, on January 6, 2018.
Since then, juvenile crime has surged in Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Demra, and surrounding areas of the capital. Although the previous government launched initiatives to control the situation, they proved ineffective, as several MPs and councillors were reportedly linked to the gangs. Following the political upheaval of August 5, 2024, juvenile crime has escalated even further.
DMP data show that 52 juvenile gangs are currently active across the city’s eight divisions. The Mirpur division has the highest number—13 gangs with 172 active members—engaged in drug trafficking, land grabbing, extortion, mugging, and targeted killings. Tejgaon has seven groups with 121 members, Ramna seven with 113, Gulshan seven with 63, Wari six with 108, Uttara six with 64, Motijheel four with 31, and Lalbagh two with 10. In 2023, police had identified 127 gangs with a total of 1,382 members.
On January 3 this year, over a hundred teenagers brandishing local weapons staged a public show of force in Mehedibagh and adjacent market areas in Adabar, injuring more than 50 people when locals tried to intervene.
On February 1, two rival teenage gangs exchanged gunfire in Hatirjheel, injuring a fruit vendor and one youth. Days later, on February 5, members of the “Paatali Group” attacked police officers during an anti-drug operation in Rayerbazar, Mohammadpur. Four policemen were injured as gang leaders “Langra Hasan,” “Farhad,” and “Chiku Shakil” led the assault with machetes. Police reported that 30–40 teenagers took part in the attack.
On May 14, around 1:45am, seven members of a family were seriously injured when a gang attacked them in Jafrabad, Mohammadpur, after a local youth named Rabbi confronted two suspicious teenagers.
On July 12, around 5pm, armed assailants attacked the offices of “AK Builders” in the Albdirteck area of Pallabi, Mirpur, after the company refused to pay extortion of Tk 50 million. The attackers fired four shots, injuring an official named Shariful Islam. Both the company and police confirmed the incident.
On September 1, around 11pm, the “Kobji Kata” gang assaulted police officers in Sunibir Housing, Adabar. Members “Jony” and “Rony” attacked Constable Al-Amin with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured. Locals said the pair had long dominated the Balur Math area, exerting full control over the neighbourhood.
Outside Dhaka, there are reportedly around 100 juvenile gangs active in Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Savar, and 57 gangs with 316 members in Chattogram.
Voices of victims
Residents of Mohammadpur told Banglanews that during the previous authoritarian regime, the local gangs operated under the patronage of Awami League leaders, who provided shelter and support to juvenile offenders. After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year through a student-led uprising, some of these youths shifted allegiance and are now participating in BNP programmes.
Locals in Pallabi, Mirpur, alleged that during the Awami League’s rule, ordinary citizens and business owners suffered from persistent extortion, drug trade, mugging, and targeted killings. Following the regime’s collapse, these groups have become even more reckless under the protection of new “godfathers.”
Victims also noted a growing number of girls joining juvenile gangs. Their roles often include handling communication, collecting money, supplying drugs, providing meals, and maintaining contacts. Though less active in violence compared to male members, they still play supportive roles. Locals have urged the government to take immediate action against these gangs.
Conversations with current and former gang members reveal that most come from impoverished or underprivileged families. Neglect, mental stress, poor academic performance, peer pressure, and greed for money have all contributed to their descent into crime. Many admitted to drug use, school dropout, or family conflict before joining gangs.
Exploiting legal loopholes
Advocate Ibrahim Khalil Majumdar, Supreme Court lawyer and chairman of the Bangladesh Legal and Human Rights Foundation, told Banglanews that children under 16 are legally considered minors, and courts often grant them bail—even in serious cases such as murder—believing they deserve a chance to reform.
However, he warned that this legal leniency is frequently exploited. “Criminals hide behind juvenile status to escape punishment,” he said. “Major offenders use minors for serious crimes in exchange for small payments, benefiting from laws designed to protect children.”
He added that while most juveniles become involved in crime spontaneously, only a few are habitual offenders. “Adult criminals are using these children as shields, not only in crime but also in politics, to create mobs or carry out attacks,” he said. Although juvenile offenders are supposed to be placed in correctional centres rather than prisons, many emerge from these institutions as hardened criminals, undermining the system’s rehabilitative purpose.
Criminologist Dr Zia observed that adolescents are highly impressionable. “If the notion of ‘power’ is implanted during this formative period, they begin to view violence as a means to assert it,” he said. “Today’s youth are drawn to Western culture through technology but fail to fully comprehend or adapt to it. The partial imitation of these lifestyles has negative social consequences, fuelling juvenile crime.”
He stressed that while the law rightly allows minors opportunities for rehabilitation, stricter oversight is essential to prevent misuse. “Otherwise, adult criminals will continue using juveniles as shields to commit more heinous crimes,” he warned.
Dr Towhidul Haque, Associate Professor at Dhaka University’s Institute of Social Welfare and Research, told Banglanews that it is crucial to identify and prosecute those who shelter and exploit juvenile gangs. “Tactics are changing, and so must our approach. Gaps in law enforcement and societal responsibility need urgent correction,” he said, adding that law reforms and civic participation are both vital.
DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Muhammad Talebur Rahman told Banglanews that it is difficult to determine the exact number of gang members. “Many criminals now commit offences under the guise of juvenile gangs, though they are not literally minors,” he said. “We have intensified patrols and intelligence operations to curb gang activity and bring offenders to justice.”
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