Shawdesh Desk:

Teenage gangs have become a name of panic among residents of big cities, including Dhaka, and district towns across the country, deteriorating the law-and-order situation.

Allegations of murder, extortion, mugging, drug trade, eve-teasing as well as internal conflict are rife against the gangs.

Now, law enforcers have found their involvement in trafficking women abroad.

It was found that the members of a single gang trafficked about 1,500 young girls to India for sex work.

The members of the teenage gangs show no respect even to their parents, let alone other people. They roam around roads and lanes in groups while taking drugs.

Law enforcers arrested many members of such gangs, but the criminals returned to crimes again as they are backed by locally influential people for showing muscle power to their rivals.

Now, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have made separate lists of the gangs and their patrons in the capital.

The DMP has found 2,000 members of 80 teenage gangs involved in murder, drug trade and other crimes, said sources in the DMP.

Sixteen crime and detective divisions of the DMP have been asked to conduct drives to arrest the members of the gangs and their patrons, said Iftekhairul Islam, additional deputy commissioner (Media and Public Relations) of the DMP.

He said the divisions have already started work in this regard.

About 23 groups were found in Mirpur, Pallabi, Kafrul, Shah Ali, Darussalam, Rupnagar and Bhashantek areas while 14 in Tejgaon, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Mohammadpur, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and Hatirjheel areas.

About 11 gangs are active in Uttara, Airport, Turag, Uttarkhan and Dakkhinkhan areas while 11 groups in Motijheel, Sabujbagh, Khilgaon, Paltan, Rampura, Mugda and Shajahanpura areas, eight groups in Ramna, Dhanmondi, Shahbagh, New Market, Hazaribagh and Kalabagan areas, six groups in Wari, Jatrabari, Shyampur, Kadamtali, Demra and Gandari areas, four groups in Lalbagh, Kamrangirchar, Chawkbazar, Sutrapur, Kotwali and Bangshal areas and one group was found in Gulshan area, said sources in the DMP.

The members of the gangs have committed several murders. And they are committing mugging, drug trading, human trafficking, eve-teasing and other crimes in the areas.

Meanwhile, elite force RAB has made another list of the gangs and their members.

Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director (Legal and Media Wing) of the RAB headquarters, told the Daily Sun that they identified over 1,500 members of about 50 teenage gangs in the capital.

About the process of making list of the gangs, he said, “We’ve collected information about the gangs and their members from local people.”

He added that RAB arrested a large number of members of teenage gangs over the last few weeks.

Lt Col Khandaker Saiful Alam, commanding officer of RAB-2, told the Daily Sun that they conducted special drives and arrested 62 members of 11 teenage gangs from Mohammadpur, Hazaribagh, Adabar and other parts of the city in the last one month.

Of them, 16 members of two gangs — ‘Don Sagor Group’ and ‘Munna Group’ — were arrested from Hazaribagh and Darussalam areas on June 20, he said.

RAB-1 arrested 12 members, including the ringleader, of ‘D-Company Group’ from Uttara on June 6 and RAB-10 arrested 10 members of ‘Seven Star Group’ and ‘Robin Hood Group’ from Shyampur on June 18.

Sources in the DMP said they made the database of the members and their patrons; some of the patrons are elected representatives and some are holding vital posts of ward and thana level committees of the ruling party.

The sources said the patrons will be brought to book along with members not matter whatever their personal and political identities are to maintain the law and order as the members of the gangs are often involved in hatred and terrible crimes, including murder, mugging and human trafficking.

Some 20 out of 23 groups that are active in Mirpur, Pallabi, Kafrul, Shah Ali, Darussalam, Rupnagar and Bhashantek areas are ‘Apu Group,’ ‘Abbas Group,’ ‘Nada Ismail,’ ‘Happy,’ ‘Baga Hridoy,’ ‘Vaskar,’ ‘Robin,’  ‘LK Devil or Boys LK Taltala,’ ‘Potato Rubel,’ ‘Atul,’ ‘Ashik,’ ‘Jallal Milon,’ ‘Rocky,’ ‘Pintu-Kallu,’ ‘Musa Harun alias Bhai Bhai,’ ‘Romantic,’ ‘Sohel,’ ‘Yasmeen,’  ‘Emon,’ and ‘Jewel.’

The  14 gangs in Tejgaon, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Mohammadpur, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and Hatirjheel areas include ‘Kana Jasim,’ ‘Main Uddin,’   ‘Shakil,’  ‘Mamun,’ ‘Lara De,’  ‘Chene Lo,’  ‘Kopaia De,’ ‘Badhan,’ ‘Polok,’ ‘Gangchil,’ ‘Ghuta De,’  ‘Chetaile Vejal,’  ‘The King of Giralla,’ and ‘Only Kopaia De.’

The 11 gangs found in Uttara, Airport, Turag, Uttarkhan and Dakkhinkhan areas are ‘Nine Star,’ ‘HBT or Hitter Boys,’ ‘Sany,’  ‘Youngstar,’ ‘Big Boss,’ ‘Rana Bhola King Mahal,’ ‘Jidan Group, ‘The Boss (Hridoy Gang).’ Three groups are being run without names.

The 11 gangs in Motijheel, Sabujbagh, Khilgaon, Paltan, Rampura, Mugda and Shajahanpura areas are ‘Meem Group,’ ‘Chand Jadu Group,’ ‘Devil King,’ ‘Full Party,’ ‘Jisan Group,’ ‘Bichchhu Bahini,’ ‘Akil-Annoy Group,’ ‘Nivir Group’ and ‘Masud Group.’ Three gangs are being operated sans names.

Eight groups in Ramna, Dhanmondi, Shahbagh, New Market, Hazaribagh and Kalabagan areas are ‘Bailey King Ron,’ ‘Oli Group,’ ‘Jasim,’ ‘Lovelen,’ ‘Bangla Group,’ ‘Perfect Gangster or PGS,’ ‘Sumoner Group’  and ‘Lara De.’

Six groups in Wari, Jatrabari, Shyampur, Kadamtali, Demra and Gandari areas include ‘Shukkur Group,’ ‘Liton Group,’ ‘Tahmid,’ ‘Polash,’ ‘Molla,’ and ‘Sayed Group.’

Four gangs in Lalbagh, Kamrangirchar, Chawkbazar, Sutrapur, Kotwali and Bangshal areas are ‘Jummon Group,’ ‘TikTok Hridoy Group,’ ‘Ahmed Patti Group,’ ‘Yameen Group’ and ‘Foysal-Nasir Group.’ One group named ‘D-9’ is active in Gulshan.