The Crime Desk: Members of juvenile gangs are committing murders in trivial incidents in Chittagong. Their attacks resulted in five murders in two months (April 5 to June 8). Crime does not stop as the ‘big brothers’ who sponsor juvenile gangs on the police list remain elusive.
The police say that it is not possible for the law enforcement agencies alone to suppress such crimes. In this case, family, society—everyone should come forward.
Teenage gang members are becoming more reckless day by day. Last Wednesday, a teenage gang leader named Golam Rasul Nishan went to surrender in the case of the dentist Kurban Ali murder along with 50–60 followers. While being taken to jail after being denied bail, they shouted in the presence of police and obstructed media.
The police are making people aware in various ways, including yard meetings, to stop the violence of juvenile gangs. Police have already arrested most of those involved in various incidents. And those who came out kept them under surveillance.
On June 8, a local settlement was reached after two parties clashed over the loud honking of motorcycles at Patenga Beach in the city. One and a half hours later, one party was attacked and stabbed by another party. One person was killed, and another was injured. The age of the seven accused arrested in the case of this incident is 20 to 22.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Krishna Pad Roy told the media that the police are making people aware in various ways, including yard meetings, to stop the violence of juvenile gangs. Police have already arrested most of those involved in various incidents. And those who came out kept them under surveillance. When asked about sponsoring ‘big brothers’, he said that no one is being exempted if proper information is provided. Some patrons are already on bail.
The police commissioner also said that it is not possible to stop it completely without the cooperation of family and society. Parents should take care of whether the child is going to school properly, where he is going, and who he is mixing with.
According to the police, 64 ‘big brothers’, including five ward councilors of the Chittagong City Corporation, are sponsoring or indulging the juvenile gang. 200 youth gangs are still active in the city. Their membership is at least 1,400. In the last six years, there were 40 murders out of 548 crimes.
On April 5, the members beat and injured dentist Kurban Ali in the West Feroz Shah residential area of the Akbar Shah police station in the city. He was attacked when he came to save his madrasa son, Ali Reza.
As many cases of murder
After the birth of Moniruzzaman Rafi of Patenga, his parents separated. Rafi used to live with his mother in Nanabari, in the Saltgola crossing area. The mother held her only child to her chest. Fulfilling his mother’s dream, Rafi also got a job in a garment factory in the city’s EPZ. But Rafi was stabbed to death before handing over the Eid bonus money to his mother.
The incident happened on the night of June 8. I went to Patenga Beach with friends. Rafi had an argument and fought with his friend Zahidul Islam over the loud sound of the motorcycle’s silencer pipe. After a quick settlement, they left as usual. But an hour and a half later, at around 4:30 in the morning, Zahidul attacked Rafi with his men. He died of stab wounds. Police arrested seven people in this incident.
Deputy Commissioner of City Police (Port) Shakila Sultana told the media that most of the people involved in the incident are young people who have just passed adolescence. They roam around on motorcycles late at night and fight.
Rafi’s mother, Jannatul Ferdous, told the media, “Before handing over the Eid bonus money, the boy died in the hands of the gang.” I want severe punishment for those involved.
In the Agrabad area of Doublemooring police station in the city, there was a previous dispute between the teenagers of two neighborhoods over beating up an autorickshaw driver. As a result of this incident, a group of 15-20 people came to the Chariyapara Ice Mill area of Agrabad on the night of June 3 and stabbed a teenager named Nurul Azim (17) to death. He worked as a laborer on a ship.
Doublemooring Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Fazlul Quader Patwari said that Azim was found alone and killed due to a neighborhood conflict. Four teenagers have been arrested, along with the knife used in the incident.
Apart from this, an innocent bystander named Mehdi Hasan, a factory worker, died on May 9 on Akmal Ali Road, EPZ of the city.
Class XI student Omar Farooq became addicted to Yaba after joining a juvenile gang. On June 3, this boy hacked his mother Rina Akhtar to death after not getting money to buy yaba in the north bank area of Dighi, Pahartali, Velwar, and Nagar. Omar Farooq’s father, Akhtar Hossain, told Prothom Alo, “Despite trying, I could not get my son back from the juvenile gang; in the end, he killed his mother.”
On April 5, the members beat and injured dentist Kurban Ali in the West Feroz Shah residential area of the Akbar Shah police station in the city. He was attacked when he came to save his madrasa son, Ali Reza. Doctor Kurban Ali died on April 10 while under treatment. A case of murder was registered at Akbar Shah police station after mentioning the names of 12 people in this incident. Five people are in jail, including Golam Rasul. Others are absconding, and some are on bail.
Golam Rasul is the former vice president of the Chittagong University branch of the Chhatra League. Ali Raza, the plaintiff in the case and son of the victim, alleged that the accused, who are on bail, are practicing in the area. Eyewitnesses are being intimidated. They are insecure.
Indrajit Kundu, Professor of Sociology at Chittagong University, thinks that teenagers are growing up without ideals as family and social ties are not strong. He said the family must be careful with whom the child is mixing.
Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury, Chittagong editor of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujan), told the media that action should be taken against those who are handing over weapons and drugs to the youth to increase their influence in the area. Sponsoring elder brothers should be brought under the law. Otherwise, everyone will have to pay for it.
