United News of Bangladesh

When 13-year-old Ishiyat Shahriar Oprotim, the son of a university teacher, left home in Cumilla on September 18 with his mother’s iPhone to take photographs, his family had no reason to fear that he would never return. Nearly 24 hours later, his body was recovered from a secluded area of the Lalmai hills. Police arrested four people in connection with the killing who said  Oprotim was taken there in an attempt to snatch his phone and was beaten to death during the incident. The killing sent shockwaves across the country and brought a growing concern into sharp focus: why are some adolescents becoming involved in violence, extortion, robbery and even murder, and what can be done to prevent children from entering criminal networks? Police intensified operations against suspected members of teenage gangs, while Police Headquarters began collecting information on juvenile gang members and their activities across the country following the killing. According to police data, 3,844 juvenile gang members were arrested nationwide between September 21 and 30. A separate police review examined 424 cases recorded between 2020 and September 2026 across the country’s eight police ranges, eight metropolitan police units and the Railway Police. The review covered 2,625 members of 307 juvenile gangs and identified 23 categories of offences, including assault, extortion, theft, robbery, snatching, attempted murder, murder, kidnapping, rape, sexual harassment, drug-related offences, arms-related crimes, cybercrime and offences involving explosives and pornography. Behind the crime statistics lies a more complicated social problem involving peer pressure, family relationships, educational disengagement, the desire for status, access to drugs and weapons, social media and the influence of adult criminal networks. Experts say that tackling the problem requires more than periodic crackdowns. It demands early identification of vulnerable children, stronger family and school support, community-based intervention and a juvenile justice system capable of combining accountability with rehabilitation. How teenagers enter criminal networks Md Rezaul Karim Shohag, chairman of the Department of Criminology at Dhaka University, said adolescent bonding often develops around shared interests, online popularity, fashion, hairstyles and activities such as motorcycle stunts. Social media can intensify competition for followers and attention, encouraging some young people to adopt increasingly risky behaviour to establish their identities within a group, he said. “Among school dropouts, smoking and subsequent drug use may further strengthen ties within certain peer groups, making it easier for individuals to become connected to criminal networks,” Shohag said. He described a possible progression from petty theft to robbery and physical violence, with some adolescents eventually becoming involved in more serious offences. Adult criminals can also draw children into such activities by manipulating them or exploiting their vulnerability. This progression is not inevitable, however. Most adolescents who seek peer acceptance, use social media or experiment with risky behaviour do not necessarily become offenders. Identifying the circumstances in which these behaviours escalate is therefore essential to prevention. Family neglect, frustration and the search for status Experts identify weak family supervision, harmful peer influence, status anxiety and limited opportunities for positive engagement as potential risk factors. The Dhaka University professor said changing family structures and weakening extended-family ties have left some children with less adult attention and guidance. “Parents may not know whom their children associate with, where they spend their time or whether their friends are involved in harmful activities. This can leave adolescents more susceptible to pressure from older peers or individuals already connected to criminal groups,” he said. Adolescents who see their peers possessing expensive smartphones, motorcycles and fashionable clothing may feel compelled to compete, even when their families cannot afford such items. When these feelings of inadequacy are combined with weak supervision and exposure to criminal influences, some may seek money, recognition or a sense of power through unlawful means, he said. The vulnerable years of adolescence Adolescence is a period of rapid physical, emotional and social development. The desire for independence, acceptance and respect can become particularly powerful, while the ability to assess long-term consequences is still developing. Prof Dr Md Omar Faruk of the Department of Criminology and Police Science at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University said, “The tendency to engage in criminal activity often began around the age of 15, with ages 16 and 17 being particularly vulnerable.” He said nearly 70 percent of adolescents involved in crime became involved during those two years. According to the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2025, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with UNICEF, 33.9 percent of children of upper-secondary-school age were out of school. The survey also found that 85.7 percent of children aged 1–14 had experienced violent discipline in the month before the survey. The UNICEF data also show that only 50.8 percent of children of upper-secondary-school age were attending school at the adjusted net attendance rate in 2025, highlighting the importance of retaining older adolescents in education. Beyond arrests: keeping children engaged Experts say prevention should begin well before a child comes into contact with the police. Parents need to maintain regular communication with their children, understand their friendships and daily routines, and respond early to unexplained changes in behaviour, school attendance or social relationships. Monitoring should be accompanied by trust and support, rather than relying solely on punishment or surveillance. Schools can play a central role by identifying repeated absenteeism, behavioural changes, bullying, substance use and signs of disengagement. Teachers, counsellors and guardians should work together to help vulnerable students remain in education or return to it. Prof Faruk said children need access to sports, cultural activities, recreation and other constructive ways to spend their time. “When children do not have healthy avenues for recreation, this lack of positive outlets can push them towards negativity,” he said, describing how some adolescents may seek excitement and recognition through drugs, gang activities, harassment or the use of weapons. He warned that influential individuals could exploit adolescents’ desire for belonging and power, drawing them into activities that serve other people’s interests. Schools and families can provide close support to children who remain enrolled, while local communities must also reach those who have dropped out, he added. Bangladesh’s response must also address weaknesses in the system responsible for children who come into conflict with the law, said Prof Faruk. He said inadequate police training, limited rehabilitation capacity and weak follow-up after counselling or placement in a Child Development Centre undermined efforts to prevent reoffending. Faruk also called for reviewing the legal framework and improving enforcement, arguing that Bangladesh’s juvenile justice system needs to respond more effectively to serious offences while addressing the circumstances that draw children into crime.