Police in Cumilla detained 252 people during an overnight operation targeting suspected youth gang activity, as authorities intensified efforts to curb juvenile crime across the district.
The operation began on Thursday evening, 8 October, and continued until the early hours of Friday, 9 October. Police personnel from all 18 police stations in the district worked alongside members of the Detective Branch (DB) to carry out coordinated raids in areas identified as potential centres of youth gang activity.
However, the police have not yet disclosed a breakdown of the detentions by police station.
Lutfur Rahman, additional superintendent of police and media officer for the district police, confirmed the operation on Friday morning. He said the drive was conducted as part of ongoing efforts to prevent young people from becoming involved in criminal activities.
According to Rahman, the operation was carried out under the direction of Superintendent of Police Md Anisuzzaman. Police units from across the district participated, along with DB personnel and senior officers.
Authorities are currently examining the backgrounds and possible criminal involvement of those detained. Legal action will be taken where evidence and the findings of the verification process warrant it.
Rahman also stressed that the campaign was intended to prevent juvenile delinquency and discourage young people from becoming involved in organised criminal groups. He said the police were monitoring the operation to ensure that innocent people were not subjected to harassment in the name of enforcement.
Previous operations resulted in thousands of detentions
The latest drive follows a series of coordinated anti-gang operations launched on 23 September across Cumilla’s 18 police stations and the district’s Detective Branch.
During the fifth round of the campaign, conducted on the night of 2 October, police detained 370 people. Of these, 279 were released into their families’ custody after providing written undertakings, while legal action was taken against the remaining 91.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of four members of a notorious youth gang, including its alleged leader, Imran Hossain, known as Ratan, who was identified as the head of the group referred to as the ‘Ratan Group’ or ‘R Squad’.
According to figures previously released by the police, a total of 2,042 people had been detained during the first five phases of the campaign. Following verification, 1,409 were released into their families’ custody after signing undertakings. The remaining individuals faced legal action based on the allegations against them and information concerning their suspected involvement in criminal activities.
The figures highlight the scale of the enforcement effort, although detention alone does not establish criminal guilt. The police have said that decisions on individual cases depend on verification and the available evidence.
Student’s killing prompted intensified action
The crackdown gained momentum following the killing of Ishayat Shahriar Opritom, a Class Seven student and the son of Nahida Begum, an associate professor in the Department of Bangla at Cumilla University.
Opritom went missing on 18 September. The following day, his body was recovered from a wooded area in the Lalmai Hills, near Sananda in Cumilla’s Sadar Dakshin upazila.
The killing heightened public concern about youth gang activity and juvenile crime in the district, prompting calls for stronger action to identify criminal networks and prevent further violence.
The case has also drawn attention to the challenges of protecting young people from criminal influences and ensuring that suspected gang members are dealt with through appropriate legal procedures.
Police pledge to continue the campaign
The district police have said that their assessment of detained individuals includes checking suspected links to youth gangs, involvement in drug-related offences, connections to existing criminal cases and outstanding arrest warrants.
Such checks are intended to help investigators distinguish between individuals suspected of criminal involvement and those against whom there may be insufficient grounds for further action.
The police have pledged to continue the campaign to prevent juvenile crime and bring suspected offenders within the scope of the law. The latest operation forms part of that broader effort, although the authorities have yet to provide detailed information about the 252 people detained overnight.
As the investigation and verification process continues, the effectiveness of the campaign will depend not only on enforcement but also on accurate identification of suspects, fair legal procedures and sustained efforts to prevent young people from being drawn into criminal activities.
