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."