Mohammadpur, Adabor grapple with teen gangs
Around 2:30pm Tuesday, a 40-year-old man stood silently at
Adabor's Road-10 Balur Math, staring at some shanties.
He said he
had built four rooms there five years ago on rented land. One was for his
family, while the other three were sublet for Tk 9,000 a month.
It was the main source of income for Jalil, a day labourer.
But the
sense of certainty and calm started to fade when a local gang of mostly
teenagers extorted Tk 10,000 from him after last year's uprising, as law and
order deteriorated rapidly.
"About
a month ago, followers of Monir and Gujha Monir demanded Tk 5,000 every month.
When I refused, they beat me mercilessly and warned of another attack if I
didn't pay within 15 days," he said.
Fearing
for his family's safety, he moved to a rented room in Dhaka Udyan Housing. On
Tuesday, he returned only to check on tenants after massive joint drives in
Adabor following an attack on police.
For
speaking to this newspaper, the man gave a pseudonym -- Abdul Jalil -- out of
fear of repercussions.
Such
stories are now common in the area.
Residents
said they are constantly forced to pay extortion or face assaults and live in
terror. At night, people don't dare to step out. Gang members abduct people,
demand ransom, rob valuables, and openly trade drugs.
"No
one dares to protest," said one resident, requesting anonymity.
Locals
said gangs often justify extortion, claiming money is needed to cover bail
expenses.
Jalil
himself was told that because several members were recently freed, he had to
contribute.
Many like
Jalil rent parts of Balur Math -- a large stretch of land -- and build tin
houses and rent them out.
Police and
locals said the area is dominated by Anwar -- known as "Kobji Kata
Anwar" -- who controls multiple gangs.
Though
members are now aged between 15 and 30 years, they are still called "teen
gangs", as most started young.
Over the
past years, they have grown from petty extortionists into extensions of Dhaka's
underworld, intelligence sources said.
Leaders
change frequently, but the pattern remains the same -- every arrest opens the
way for a new leader, often more violent than the last, they added.
Locals
alleged the gangs also switch political patrons whenever necessary, seeking
shelter from whoever is in power.
Khalidul
Haq Hawlader, commanding officer of Rab-2, said since August 5, 2024, they
arrested 884 suspects in Mohammadpur and Adabor, most linked to teen gangs.
"We
identified at least 20 groups, with Kobji Kata Anwar's and Tunda Babu's outfits
being the most powerful. Some gangs have 20-30 members, others as many as 60.
Many have been arrested multiple times, only to return on bail and resume
extortion with even more aggression," he told The Daily Star.
"We
see the same faces arrested two or three times. Once freed, they return
stronger. We are trying our best to track and detain them," Khalidul
added.
Out of 20,
nine gangs are largely active in Mohammadpur and Adabor. Besides Anwar's
"Kobji Kata Group", the gangs include "Killer Arman Group",
"Tunda Babu Group", "Boma Group", "Gittha Group",
"Kosai Group", "Pataly Group", "Bunia Sohel
Group", and "Arshad aka Ayesha Group".
Md
Shamsuddoha Sumon, additional public prosecutor of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan
Magistrates' Court, observed that the teen gang members often get bail because
of a lack of specific complaints in the first information reports.
"Besides,
victims of the incidents related to teen gangs are hard to reach in many cases,
and police also fail to produce strong evidence," added Sumon.
SM
Jakaria, officer-in-charge of Adabor Police Station, however, dismissed the
allegation, saying, "We properly produce the accused with substantiated
evidence. We do not know how the teen gang members get bail."
In the
latest instance of teen gang brutality, a police team came under attack on
Monday night. A constable is undergoing treatment at the National Institute of
Cardiovascular Diseases after being hacked that night.
The
attackers also vandalised a police vehicle.
Locals
said Roni and Jony, the siblings who now lead the "Kobji Kata Group"
in Anwar's absence, masterminded the attack. The pair, along with their
associate Tushar, have been in charge since Anwar -- also known as
"Shooter Anwar" -- was arrested by the Rab in February.
Police
said the incident took place after a 999 call reported a young man and a woman
being held hostage inside a garage in Adabor's Sunibir Housing. When police
reached the spot, Roni, Jony and their followers attacked them with sharp
weapons.
Following
the incident, police launched a drive in the area and detained 102 suspects and
recovered weapons and motorbikes.
Last
night, DMP said main suspects Jony, 24, and Roni, 27, were arrested along with
seven other members of the gang from Keraniganj and Savar early in the morning
over the attack on police. Two sharp weapons were also recovered.
"They
are involved in criminal activities like attacks on police, extortion, mugging,
clashes, drug abuse, eve-teasing, abduction, demanding ransom and forceful
occupation of properties," the statement said.
Sources
said the gang also attacked Nabinnagar Housing in Mohammadpur and stormed two
rickshaw garages the same night it assaulted police.
Rashed,
the owner of one of the garages, said the attackers looted two rickshaws,
hacked the garage manager and took away Tk 3,000 for refusing to pay extortion.
Kazi
Rafique, OC of Mohammadpur Police Station, said they were not aware of the
incident. Garage owner Rashed said he did not inform the police because he was
out of Dhaka.
Beyond
petty extortion and ransom, gang influence now extends into big land and
property dealings.
A
businessman from Mohammadpur said he bought a plot for Tk 3 crore three years
ago. At the time, he paid Tk 10 lakh to a gang. Recently, the same men switched
allegiance to another group and demanded another Tk 10 lakh.
"This
is what terrifies us. No matter what happens, the threats remain. I already
paid once, now they are demanding again," he said, requesting anonymity.
Several
other property owners and businessmen from Mohammadpur and nearby areas shared
similar stories of repeated extortion under shifting gang-political alliances.
Ibne
Mizan, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Tejgaon Division,
said, "Our operations often lead to the arrest of gang leaders. But we
often hear new names from arrestees.
"These
teen gang members are mainly floating and have no permanent address, which is
why it becomes difficult to trace them. But rest assured, we will bring them
all to justice."