Juvenile Gangs and Youth Crime: Which Generation Are We Losing?
1. Introduction The future of a nation is determined by the hands of its young generation. A huge share of Bangladesh's population today is young — nearly one-third of the country's total population is under the age of 35. If this vast demographic asset (the "Demographic Dividend") could be properly harnessed, it could become the driving force behind the country's economic and social progress. But reality is turning in a different direction. From the capital Dhaka to districts and upazilas, and even remote villages, a worrying trend has spread — juvenile gang culture. Adolescents and young people, still in school or college, are getting involved in serious crimes such as fighting for control over neighborhoods, extortion, mugging, drug dealing, and even murder. At an age when their hands should be holding books and notebooks, and their minds filled with dreams and plans for the future, many are instead picking up knives or machetes, or falling into drug use....