Youth group catches muggers, wears uniforms, conducts raids

A video circulating on Facebook shows several young men detaining a man who identifies himself as Anwar, also known as ‘Blade Anwar’.

The young men ask Anwar to send a message to muggers operating in Tongi. Anwar then says, “Don’t come to Tongi to carry out mugging. They will beat you and break your bones.”

At this point, someone off camera asks, “Who will break their bones?” Anwar replies, “The public.”

The young men then ask Anwar to say the name of an organisation called Bangladesh Youth Revolution. He tries to say the name and the video ends there.

The incident took place on 16 August in Tongi, Gazipur. The organisation mentioned in the video was formed by a group of young people from the Tongi area.

Bangladesh Youth Revolution’s central convener Fahad Islam is a third-year undergraduate student at Tongi Government College. He told Prothom Alo that they mainly work against people involved in crimes such as mugging and drug use. They catch people involved in such activities red-handed and hand them over to the police.

Fahad Islam said 250 members are currently working with the group in the Tongi area. Another 700 or so CVs have been submitted by people interested in becoming members.

The Bangladesh Youth Revolution Facebook page has 54,000 followers. The group regularly posts videos of people they claim are muggers, drug users and drug dealers after detaining them. These videos gain thousands of views. Group members patrol the area and take part in operations wearing designated uniforms. They have also been seen in their uniforms alongside police officers. They carry sticks and other makeshift weapons. At times, people suspected of mugging are beaten and subjected to humiliating punishment.

Questions have nevertheless been raised about why young people should be doing the work of the police. Some point out that it is risky to leave the task of apprehending criminals in the hands of ordinary citizens. Who can guarantee that no member of the group will harass an innocent person or use the group to serve personal interests? Identifying a suspect as a criminal and circulating a video of them can also constitute an offence.

The Tongi area of Gazipur falls under two police stations, Tongi East and Tongi West. According to Google, the two police stations are about four kilometres apart. Local residents allege that despite police from two stations working in the same area, they have failed to effectively control crime.

According to Tongi East police, 71 cases were filed over mugging, attempted mugging and robbery between June and September last year. During the period, 702 alleged muggers were detained. At Tongi West police station, 72 cases were filed over mugging and attempted robbery during the same period and 425 people were detained.

However, these figures do not provide a complete picture of crime in the area. Victims often do not file cases after being mugged. In many instances, police also record complaints as general diaries (GDs) instead of filing cases.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Tongi East police station Maksudul Alam told Prothom Alo that mugging and drug dealing among other crimes have declined and regular drives remain ongoing.

Nevertheless, visiting different parts of Tongi on 26-27 September and speaking with local residents and police personnel revealed that muggers remain active across several spots, including Station Road, Hossain Market, College Gate, Abdullahpur bus stand, Sataish, Keranirtek and the Haji Mazar slum. Muggings occur frequently in these areas, particularly in the evening and at night.

On 26 August at around 3:30am, Sheikh Mohammad Russel, a resident of Sataish, and his family were victims of a mugging in the Tongi area.

Russel told Prothom Alo, “After learning about my aunt’s death, I left home that night with my wife and brother to travel to Rangpur. While we were waiting by the road to board a bus, three men with their faces covered in cloth held sharp weapons to us and robbed two mobile phones, gold ornaments and cash.”

The following day, Russel filed a case with Tongi West police station. He told Prothom Alo, “None of the stolen items have been recovered, nor have I received any updates regarding the arrest of the perpetrators.”

The group of young people known as Bangladesh Youth Revolution is now familiar to residents of Tongi. The organisers said it was launched on 16 December 2025. Since then, they have detained around 250 alleged muggers and drug dealers and handed them over to the police.

Bangladesh Youth Revolution’s central chief organiser, Sabuj Uddin Iqbal, told Prothom Alo, “When our sources give us information about a crime, we immediately conduct an operation. The police also inform us, saying that crime has increased in a particular area and asking us to patrol there.”

Asked why they carry out such operations when apprehending criminals is the police’s responsibility, Sabuj Uddin said, “We do this to ensure the safety of our mothers and sisters.”

Sabuj Uddin claimed that Bangladesh Youth Revolution members have a WhatsApp group that also includes several officers of the Gazipur Metropolitan Police.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) South Division Deputy Commissioner SM Shafiqul Islam told Prothom Alo that maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the police. However, public assistance is necessary. He said it was difficult to maintain law and order without public awareness and cooperation. The police regularly conduct drives, he added.

Crimes such as mugging, theft, robbery and drug dealing occur across the country. This raises the question of whether it would be acceptable if similar groups were formed across the country.

Omar Faruk, a professor at the Department of Criminology and Police Science at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, told Prothom Alo that forming groups through private initiatives to combat crime is not acceptable. Such efforts could lead to various forms of crime, he said.

He said, suppose a member of the youth group asks someone for money. If that person refuses, the group member beats him, labels him a drug dealer and hands him over to the police. Would that be acceptable?