Two mothers’ fight to keep their children safe amid growing menace of ‘teen gangs’

Teenager Mohammad Oshan, 16, was returning home from school. He is a Class IX student at St Joseph Higher Secondary School in Mohammadpur, Dhaka.

On his way home, a young man was following Oshan. He repeatedly asked him to look at a piece of paper. However, his behaviour seemed suspicious. At one point, Oshan ran into a shop and sought help from the people there. When the shopkeepers came outside, they saw that the young man had fled.

Recalling the incident, which took place about three months ago, Oshan’s mother Tamanna Yasmin told Prothom Alo that she was frightened when she heard about it from her son. Before this incident, two of her son’s friends had been victims of mugging in separate incidents. Their mobile phone and bicycle had been snatched by people of their own age.

Tamanna Yasmin and her husband Md Enayet Ullah live on Nurjahan Road in Mohammadpur. On 24 September, as Tamanna was speaking about these incidents at her home, Enayet Ullah and Oshan were sitting beside her. Tamanna said, “It’s very frightening. How long can you keep an eye on them all the time?”

Parents across the country are worried about their children amid the growing menace of ‘teen gangs’ or criminal groups. One concern is their children’s safety. Another is whether their children might go astray.

Mothers’ fears have grown further following the murder of 13-year-old Ishayat Shahriar Apratim in Cumilla on 18 September. Police say he was killed to take the mobile phone, an iPhone, he had with him. Those involved in the killing were known to him (Apratim).

Local residents said that Saiful Islam Tuhin, and two other teenagers, who have been arrested in the Apratim murder case, were members of a gang called ‘RZ-36’.

Following Apratim’s murder, parenting and child-rearing have come into focus. Prothom Alo sought to learn about the struggles mothers are facing in this regard. This correspondent spoke to many mothers. Of those, two mothers agreed to share their stories of struggle, along with their names and photographs.

One of the two mothers, Tamanna, lives in Mohammadpur, while the other, Lucky Rahman, lives in Uttara. There are concerns about the activities of teen gangs in both areas.

The issue of criminal groups in Mohammadpur, in particular, has been discussed for years. However, crime in Mohammadpur increased after police activities weakened following 5 August 2024.

On 19 April, Prothom Alo published a report titled “Is Mohammadpur Dhaka’s ‘City of God’?”. Citing the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the report said around 50 criminal groups were active in Mohammadpur, including teen gangs.

According to Oshan’s parents, crime in Mohammadpur is not declining. In this situation, they have to keep a closer eye on their children to ensure their safety and prevent them from going astray.

Tamanna Yasmin and Enayet Ullah have another child, a daughter named Alina Islam, 6. Tamanna completed her Master’s degree in history from Eden College. She had a job but left it in 2019 due to illness. Now, most of her time is spent looking after her two children.

Tamanna said she had always taught her son about the things that could put him in danger. She has built a friendly relationship with him so that he feels comfortable sharing everything with her.

A piece written by Oshan on Bangladesh’s education system was published in a school publication. In a section titled ‘Parents’ misconceptions’, Oshan wrote, “Many parents start comparing everything their children do with someone else: ‘The boy next door got this result, so why couldn’t you?’ Such comparisons undermine a child’s confidence.”

When asked whether Oshan himself faced such problems, he replied, “My parents are very supportive.”

Tamanna said her son has various devices, including a mobile phone. She knows the passwords to all of them. In her view, devices are essential for children in the modern age.

To help keep her son away from ‘bad company’, she has encouraged him to join various clubs at school. He is a member of the IT Club and Science Club. This year, Oshan was responsible for publishing the Science Club’s magazine, Nucleus.

According to Tamanna, being involved in these activities has contributed to Oshan’s mental development. Last year, Oshan’s English poetry book titled ‘Petals beneath Ashes’ was published at the Ekushey Book Fair.

She said insecurity is largely responsible for children now leading increasingly confined lives. “It is oppressive for a child. Parents will, of course, look after their children. But the government must ensure their safety outside the home,” she said.

Tamanna added, “If safety outside the home were properly ensured, we would not have to worry so much. Teenagers also have a right to freedom, and they should be given the opportunity to grow up in a normal environment.”

Pointing out that adolescence is a stage when teenagers may see excessive parental supervision as interference, Laila Khandaker, convener of child rights organisation ‘Shishurai Shob’, told Prothom Alo that instead of monitoring every aspect of a teenager’s personal life, their choices and interests should be treated with respect.

She said parents need to build a relationship with their children in which they feel able to share everything openly. Children should also be taught how to use devices positively.

Lucky Rahman lives in Uttara Sector 12. She is a working woman. Her son, Safwan Rahman, 13, is a Class VII student at the Diabari campus of Milestone School and College. Her elder daughter, Sauda Rahman, 21, studies at Shanto-Mariam University.

His correspondent had to visit Lucky Rahman’s home at 7:15 am to speak to her. When the correspondent arrived on the morning of 24 September, her son and daughter were getting ready to leave for school and university. She was preparing breakfast for them and packing food for herself.

In between her chores, Lucky Rahman said she gives her son Tk 50 a day. Of this, Tk 30 is for transport and Tk 20 for snacks. To stay in touch with him, she keeps a ‘button phone’ (feature phone) at home for her son.

Lucky said she is always worried about her children’s safety. Her concerns have grown further after she saw reports of a child being raped and killed and the body dismembered in Pallabi, and of Apratim’s murder in Cumilla.

Five months ago, Lucky Rahman enrolled Safwan in karate classes. In her words, “I enrolled him to learn karate so that he can defend himself in any situation.” Safwan is a member of his school’s debate club and practises recitation. He joined the Scouts this year. Since starting school, he has won the ‘All-Rounder’ and ‘Student of the Year’ awards every year.

According to Lucky, being involved in various activities can help prevent a teenager from going astray. However, she considers building a relationship of trust with children to be important. She said they watch a film together at home once a week.

Once, one of her son’s friends gave him a note with the name of an adult film written on it. If she had not had a trusting and friendly relationship with her son, she would not have found out about the incident, she said.

Lucky Rahman said, “Children should be brought up in such a way that they can come and tell their parents everything. I did not tell him [Safwan] not to mix with that friend anymore; instead, I told him to learn to distinguish between right and wrong.”

Nine years ago, very close to where Lucky Rahman lives, a 14-year-old teenager, Adnan Kabir, was killed by his peers in Sector 13 of Uttara. It was largely after this incident that the issue of “teen gangs” came into public discussion.

Although they are called teen gangs, adults make up a significant proportion of their members. There have been allegations that, under the patronage of influential local figures and political protection, these members are involved in crimes including taking drugs, mugging, murder and being hired to commit offences.

Police arrested eight members of the ‘Disco Boys’ and ‘Nine Star Group’ over the murder of school student Adnan Kabir. However, after being subjected to repeated threats from criminals released on bail, Adnan’s family was forced to leave Uttara. Criminal gangs continue to wield extensive influence in Uttara.

Lucky Rahman said, “We are doing as much as we can for our children. It is the responsibility of the government and society to ensure their safety. If they fail to fulfil this responsibility, all the effort we parents put into raising and protecting our children will be in vain.”

The teen gang problem is not confined to Dhaka, rather it is a problem faced across the country. A special report by the Ministry of Home Affairs published in April 2024 said there were around 237 teen gangs across Bangladesh.

Police operations have been intensified following the murder of Apratim in Cumilla. Members of teen gangs and other criminal groups are being detained.

Experts in the field believe that while cracking down on crime is important, various initiatives are also needed to keep teenagers away from criminal activities.

Anjuman Parvin, a child development and parenting expert, and chief consultant at Heaven Education Services, told Prothom Alo that not all parents can afford to spend money to involve their children in school clubs, self-defence training or cultural activities.

Schools should work on the mental development of every student. The government should establish community-based activities where all children can participate and where their safety is ensured, she added.

Laila Khandaker, convener of ‘Shishurai Shob’, highlighted another responsibility of the government. She said the government must provide playgrounds and parks for children and adolescents and ensure that they can play and spend time there safely.