Teen Gangs Require More Than Police Action

The rise of teen gangs has become one of Bangladesh’s most disturbing urban challenges. Once largely confined to a few neighbourhoods in Dhaka, juvenile gangs are now active in Chattogram, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Cumilla, Mymensingh and many district towns. Their involvement in murder, assault, extortion, mugging, drug trafficking, cybercrime and the harassment of women and students has created fear among citizens and raised serious concerns about public safety. The growing menace demands a coordinated national response because it is not simply a law enforcement problem but also a failure of family, education, community and governance.
Today’s teen gangs are no longer merely groups of unemployed adolescents. Many have become organised criminal networks linked to drugs, violence, extortion and intimidation. Members are recruited with promises of friendship, protection, money or social status. Some are school dropouts from poor families, but many come from middle-income and even affluent households. Several factors have contributed to their rapid rise. The first is the weakening of family supervision. Many parents remain occupied with earning a livelihood and have little time to understand where their children spend their time, who their friends are, or what they do online. In some cases, broken families and emotional neglect leave adolescents searching for belonging elsewhere.
The education system also shares responsibility. Schools place overwhelming emphasis on examination results while giving limited attention to character building, civic education, mental health, conflict resolution and life skills. Students who struggle emotionally or academically often receive little counselling before drifting towards antisocial groups.
Rapid urbanisation has created another challenge. Most cities lack sufficient playgrounds, libraries, youth clubs, sports facilities and cultural centres where adolescents can spend their leisure time positively. Instead, many gather in shopping areas, tea stalls or street corners where negative peer influence flourishes. Social media has further accelerated the problem by glorifying violence, displaying weapons, promoting online bullying and helping gangs recruit new members.
Perhaps the most disturbing issue is the allegation that some juvenile gangs receive protection from influential individuals. Media reports over the years have suggested that certain local criminals or politically connected persons have used gang members to intimidate rivals, collect extortion, occupy land or carry out illegal activities. If such patronage exists, eliminating juvenile gangs will remain difficult unless those responsible are held accountable.
Police and the Rapid Action Battalion have conducted numerous operations against juvenile gangs, arresting many offenders and dismantling criminal groups. These efforts deserve appreciation, but arrests alone cannot eliminate the problem. New gangs often emerge because the conditions that created them remain unchanged. 
Bangladesh can learn valuable lessons from countries that have successfully reduced youth violence. Japan emphasises discipline, civic responsibility and community engagement from primary school. Students clean their own classrooms, participate in community activities and develop respect for public property. The country’s Koban community policing system allows police officers to maintain close relationships with residents and identify vulnerable youth before they become involved in crime. Singapore has made Character and Citizenship Education a compulsory part of its school curriculum. Schools work closely with parents, counsellors and social workers to identify at risk students early. Young offenders are often diverted into counselling, vocational training and rehabilitation instead of being abandoned to criminal networks. Many other countries have taken similar approaches that have significantly reduced violent crime.
Bangladesh should adopt a comprehensive national strategy based on these experiences. Civic and social values education should become compulsory from the primary level to teach honesty, discipline, empathy, respect and peaceful conflict resolution. Every school should have trained counsellors to identify vulnerable students before they fall into criminal networks.
Parents must become more involved in their children’s lives by monitoring friendships, online activities and emotional wellbeing. Local governments should establish more playgrounds, libraries, sports facilities, cultural centres and vocational training programmes.
Community policing should be expanded, with police, teachers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and local residents working together to identify vulnerable neighbourhoods. Equally important, the government must ensure that no adult who recruits or protects juvenile gang members escapes justice because of political or financial influence. Those who exploit children for criminal purposes deserve the strongest punishment.
At the same time, rehabilitation should receive equal priority. Many gang members are themselves victims of neglect, abuse, addiction, or poverty. Counselling, education, vocational training and psychological support can help many of them rebuild their lives and become productive citizens.
The rise of teen gangs is ultimately a warning that something is wrong within society. Parents, schools, communities, local authorities, politicians and law enforcement agencies all share responsibility for preventing children from being drawn into crime. If Bangladesh truly wants to build a peaceful, prosperous and civilised society, it must invest as much in its children as it does in roads, bridges and buildings. Every child rescued from gang culture is not merely a life transformed but a stronger foundation for the nation’s future.
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The writer is the Editor and CEO of News Network