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The Home Ministry has decided to form committees in all upazilas across Bangladesh to prevent the spread of juvenile gangs and curb their criminal activities.
Under the plan, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) will serve as the committee chair, while the officer-in-charge (OC) of the respective police station will act as its member-secretary.
The ministry’s decision was confirmed by sources on Monday (October 19).The initiative aims to identify juvenile offenders at the grassroots level, prevent gang-related crimes and ensure swift legal and social interventions when offences occur.
Members of juvenile gangs have recently been accused of involvement in mugging, extortion, drug dealing, clashes, establishing territorial dominance and murder in different parts of the country. Law enforcement agencies have also intensified operations to control such crimes.
In February, the Home Ministry expanded the scope of upazila law and order committees, directing them to take effective measures against various crimes, including juvenile gang activities, murder, mugging, abduction and drug-related offences.
Under the latest initiative, relevant agencies will coordinate efforts to collect information on crime-prone youths, provide counselling to prevent them from becoming involved in criminal activities and take prompt legal action against offenders.
The ministry is also emphasising greater public awareness and community monitoring alongside law enforcement efforts. The process of issuing instructions to field-level officials to implement the decision has begun, according to relevant sources.
