Teen Gangs Active in Dhaka's Mohammadpur and Khilgaon Areas

Teenage gangs, locally known as kishore gangs, have been engaging in activities including extortion, drug peddling, and violent clashes across the Mohammadpur and Khilgaon areas of Dhaka. According to verified information from official databases maintained by both police headquarters and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), these juvenile groups operate extensively throughout the capital and various districts nationwide. Documented operations show that these teenage members frequently carry machetes and participate in territorial clashes as well as street-level criminality.

The scale of the phenomenon is underscored by extensive figures compiled by authorities regarding juvenile groups across the country. Outside of the capital, there are 227 active teenage gangs operating in various metropolitan areas and districts, comprising a total of 2,550 members. Regional breakdowns indicate 98 groups in Chattogram, 7 in Khulna, 13 in Rajshahi, 15 in Sylhet, 13 in Gazipur, and a district-high 25 groups in Noakhali. Within the capital itself, authorities track 159 distinct teenage gang groups boasting a total membership of 1,812 individuals.

Specific neighborhoods in Dhaka exhibit high concentrations of these groups, particularly under the jurisdiction of the Tejgaon division where Mohammadpur stands out with the highest concentration. Mohammadpur area alone hosts 27 distinct teenage gangs with an estimated membership of at least 350 individuals. Other zones under the same division include Adabor with 6 groups, Tejgaon industrial area with 3 groups, Tejgaon and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with one group each, and Hatirjheel with 2 groups. Generally, individual gangs across these areas maintain memberships ranging from a minimum of 10 up to a maximum of 25 participants.

Additional divisions across Dhaka also report significant juvenile gang presences impacting local security. The Pallabi police station area accounts for 16 teenage gangs containing at least 160 members. Meanwhile, the Motijheel division tallies 16 groups distributed across several neighborhoods, including seven gangs in Khilgaon, three in Mugda, two each in Motijheel and Sabujbagh, and one each in Rampura and Shahjahanpur. Demra police station area records an additional three teenage gang groups operating within its jurisdiction.

The real-world impact of these networks was recently illustrated in the Rayerbazar area of Mohammadpur, where a content creator named Md. Hanif was targeted by an assailant. Describing the harrowing encounter, Md. Hanif stated that the youth attempted to drag him into a narrow alley for the purpose of mugging while identifying himself as a member of the 'Sumon group'. The victim noted that calling the emergency number 999 prompted a police response, highlighting that such robbery attempts occur frequently during both the day and night. Although young in age, the perpetrators involved in these incidents are active members of local kishore gangs.