Residents and business owners in Mohammadpur and Adabor say the areas have become synonymous with fear, citing growing incidents of snatching, extortion, and teen gang activity.
Political patronage and police inaction, they say, have allowed the problem to persist for years, culminating in protests on 21 February and subsequent police action.
Locals and crime experts report that snatchers operate from main roads to narrow lanes, with rickshaw passengers, students, and commuters as frequent targets. Snatching incidents peak when college and university students leave classes, and many ride-share drivers now avoid Mohammadpur due to security concerns. Police data show snatching is highest from evening until midnight.
Traders say extortion demands occur regularly at local markets, pavement stalls, garages, and construction sites on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Victims seldom complain publicly, fearing retaliation or threats to their lives.
Teen gangs in Mohammadpur are increasingly involved in snatching, extortion, and other crimes. Many are school and college-going youths who form area-based gangs to assert influence, often drawing members from slums and low-income neighborhoods.
What starts as social-media posturing, motorbike showdowns, or street fights frequently escalates into snatching and drug-related activity.
Police records mark Mohammadpur as a crime-prone area, with snatching peaking from evening until midnight. Most gang members arrested are aged 14 to 19.
What locals say
Residents have repeatedly held processions and rallies demanding action. Mohammadpur resident Ishtiaq Sajib said: “The law and order situation in the area is very fragile. In alleys and lanes, snatchers and teen gang members are attacking with sharp weapons and firearms. But the police role is negligible.”
Resident Ismail Patowary said: “In many cases, we receive no help from the police. When teen gangs or snatchers attack, they do not intervene. Only when an incident becomes viral on social media do they sometimes act.”
On February 21, traders and locals of Adabor, Bosila and Chand Uddyan besieged Adabor police station and blocked roads after an extortion attack on a local embroidery factory, in which two workers were stabbed. The attackers, traders say, demanded money and were led by a local gang member known as “Kala Rasel.”
Maruf Hasan Sumon, nephew of Mostafizur Rayhan Jahir of the embroidery owners’ association, said: “Several teen gang members suddenly attacked my uncle’s factory, demanding money. Rasel led 8–10 people in an attack when we refused. Two workers were seriously injured.”
One day after the siege, on February 22, police arrested the locally notorious extortionist Faruk, also known as Kala Faruk. The police later used loudspeakers in the area to warn residents against extortion. Faruk is accused of threatening several traders in Bosila City Housing and the Bosila 40-ft area over extortion.
What officials say
Associate Professor Dr Md Tawohidul Haque of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, University of Dhaka, said: “Mohammadpur and Adabor are densely populated. Apart from Geneva Camp, there are many slums and large low-income populations.
“Poverty, family instability, and drug networks draw youths into crime; small yaba and cannabis-based rings use teenagers as carriers. Unless the drug-crime linkage is broken, controlling teen gangs will be difficult. They shelter under local powerbrokers, discouraging victims from filing complaints, and small offences eventually evolve into larger criminal networks.”
Officer-in-Charge Mezbah Uddin of Mohammadpur police station said: “Following various incidents, operations have been intensified. As a result, the situation is under control now.”
Officer-in-Charge Ziaur Rahman of Adabor police station said: “Arrests of teen gangs and other criminals continue. Many have already been arrested. Patrols and operations have been increased, and special lists are being prepared to suppress drugs and teen gangs.”
Referring to Mohammadpur as a long-standing “crime-prone” area, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir recalled that he was personally robbed there in 1986 during his university days.
During a field inspection of the capital’s security arrangements on February 27, he said: “Special monitoring and intensified operations have been launched to control crime in Mohammadpur. Patrols against teen gangs, snatching, and drugs will continue. Pavements and roads will be cleared of encroachment, major roads kept safe, and strict action will be taken against white-collar criminals as well.”
After a meeting with senior officials of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on March 4, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced that a nationwide operation would be launched against extortionists and armed offenders. The operation will begin in Dhaka, and authorities are preparing lists of known extortionists and armed criminals. Based on these lists, raids will be conducted to bring them under the law.
