We are expressing grave concern over use of children in various crimes including political violence during hartal and blockade enforced by BNP. It is also regrettable that children are being used in subversive activities alongside drug trafficking and clashes.
BNP has brought juvenile children in the field to carry out arson attack, hurl crude bombs and torch and vandalise vehicles during the hartal and blockade. Members of Rab and police have arrested many children from different areas of the country in sabotage cases. The arrestees have admitted their involvement in various sabotage acts during preliminary interrogation, according police.
They are also being used as human shields in front of processions in exchange for money. But, many of them could not say anything about the party men who had hired them for conducting sabotage. It means, BNP’ has already crossed its limit by using children in violence. This is leading the children into becoming harden criminals in the future. BNP will have to pay price if it continued to make mistake such crime using children. Many of those parties have fled internally and now BNP's unity is a hodgepodge one. The movement, which has no leader or people’s engagement, cannot turn into a mass movement. BNP does not believe in vote rather it wants to go to power forcefully.
Violence could severely damage the children’s development. The victims are becoming fearful about their surroundings, which will put a negative impact on their future life.
The children engaged with subversive activities are being led into the dark world of crime through this process. Arsonists set on fire to 280 vehicles, including buses, and 15 properties across the country since October 28.
In most cases, children were used in arson attack and subversive activities. Besides, equipped with fire arms and sharp weapons, the gang members aged between 16 and 19 years blessed by ‘big brothers roam together at their respective areas, committing various crimes like mugging, extortion and stalking school and college girls, and other female.
This is leading the children into
becoming harden
criminals in the future
They are also operating gangs in capital Dhaka, Chattogram and metropolitan cities, district towns, upazila headquarters and even remote villages in the country. They are also involved in drug abusing and peddling as their respective localities under the very nose of people representatives like members, councilors, chairmen, mayors, upazila chairmen and even lawmakers alongside local administrations.
No one dares to speak against them or check these organised juvenile gang members. Their arrest is almost impossible as they are being used by the local influential and people’s representatives to establish supremacy.
Besides, the gangsters are also involved in occurring misconduct and running various crimes through social media, which is called ‘social cocaine terrorism. The different law enforcement agencies including police and elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) launched drive to net the members of juvenile gang across the country. The government will have to device a comprehensive understanding of what works, what does not work, and what is promising in terms of addressing "teen-gang culture" problems. In this regard, we think Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself will have to take an initiative, asking her party lawmakers, senior leaders and local representatives, and local administrations to address this burning issue immediately.
It would be very regretful if every achievement of the government that is materialised by round-the-clock hard labour goes in vain just because of our some teenager’s involvement in crimes and drugs. We think only law enforcers’ cooperation is not enough to stop the teen-gang culture and drug abuse. Therefore, the guardians should take care of their children to know what they are doing so that they would have no scope to involve in teenage gangs. We have noticed that many teenagers stay out of their respective houses not only after evening but also till late night. So, the guardians should not allow their teenage children to stay outside after the dusk and ensure them go to the reading table.