Tension erupted at Daudkandi Model Police Station in Cumilla after 28 teenagers were detained as suspects during a police operation targeting alleged involvement in youth gangs. The situation escalated on Wednesday night when 22 of the teenagers reportedly broke through the door of a room where they were being held and left the station.
The incident took place at around 10pm on 23 September, amid a gathering of relatives and local residents outside the police station. Videos showing the teenagers and their guardians involved in a commotion outside the station have since circulated online.
According to eyewitnesses, several of the detained teenagers broke the door of the room in which they had been kept, damaging chairs, tables and other items before making their way outside. A group of the teenagers then gathered in front of the station and chanted slogans, adding to the tension at the scene.
The incident followed the arrival of a number of guardians and relatives at the station. They claimed that most of the detained teenagers had no previous criminal records with the police. Relatives began gathering outside the station from the afternoon after learning that the teenagers had been taken into custody.
As the number of people outside increased, an argument and commotion developed at the station entrance. Police officers subsequently moved to calm the situation.
Daudkandi Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Sajedul Islam arrived at the scene and used a loudspeaker to address the crowd. He said the situation was not as serious as it appeared and explained that the teenagers had been detained on suspicion because they were allegedly moving around unnecessarily.
According to the OC, 28 teenagers had initially been detained. Their relatives later arrived together, resulting in a gathering outside the station. At around 10.30pm, 22 of the teenagers were released into the custody of their guardians.
The remaining six teenagers were kept for further verification. Police said their cases would be assessed after checking the relevant information before deciding what action, if any, should be taken.
Police officers involved in the operation said the teenagers had been identified as members of youth gangs, which was the reason they were taken to the station. However, the claims made by the police and the concerns raised by the guardians differ, particularly over whether the detained teenagers had previous involvement in criminal activity.
The incident in Daudkandi came as Cumilla district police were conducting a wider operation against youth gangs across the district. In a post on its official page, Cumilla district police said coordinated operations had been conducted at all 18 police stations in the district.
Police said the decision to conduct the operation followed concerns over the involvement of teenagers in various criminal activities. According to the police, such involvement has been having a negative impact on society, prompting authorities to intensify efforts to identify and prevent youth gangs from becoming involved in crime.
The operation was carried out under the direction of Cumilla Superintendent of Police Mohammad Anisuzzaman. Police said senior district officers also took part directly in the operation.
Raids were conducted at various locations in Cumilla city and across the areas covered by the district’s police stations, particularly places where complaints of harassment and disorder involving groups of youths had been reported.
According to the district police, 624 people were detained during the coordinated operation. Police said the backgrounds of those detained were being checked to determine whether they had been involved in previous offences. Necessary legal measures would be taken following the verification process, the police said.
The district police also said operations against youth gangs would continue to prevent their members from becoming involved in criminal activities.
The events at Daudkandi Model Police Station have drawn particular attention because of the teenagers breaking out of the room and the subsequent gathering outside the station. While police described the initial detention as a precautionary measure based on suspicion, relatives questioned the basis for holding many of the teenagers and said they were unaware of any previous criminal records against them. The authorities are now expected to complete their verification of the remaining six teenagers before determining the next course of action.
