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| Photo: Md. Ataul, arrested suspect (Courtesy of Police) |
In a brutal act of vengeance, members of the “Python” gang attacked and killed Wahidul Haque, alias Sabbir (18), a college student, in Chittagong’s Halishahar area. The attack stemmed from a rivalry between two teen gangs, with Wahidul being a member of the “Bingu” group. The assailants, aged between 16 and 22, carried out the attack in retaliation for the assault of another teenager.
On May 16, in the Noyabazar area of Halishahar, 22 members of the Python gang arrived in four autorickshaws and brutally beat Wahidul. The gang’s leader, Md. Ataul (22), stabbed Wahidul in the stomach. Wahidul succumbed to his injuries six days later while undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. He was a student at Shyamoli Ideal Technical College in the city’s Muradpur area.
According to the investigation led by Halishahar Police Station’s Sub-Inspector Swapan Kumar Sarkar, Ataul confessed to the stabbing, stating, “It didn’t take long, 8 to 10 seconds to finish the job.” The attack was a retaliatory act following the assault of another teenager by Wahidul’s group.
Wahidul’s father, Mohammad Eshak, filed a case at Halishahar Police Station. So far, seven suspects, including Ataul, have been arrested. Ataul was apprehended during a joint operation by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police on Thursday night in Halishahar.
Police investigations confirmed that the Python gang targeted Wahidul in retaliation for an earlier assault. CCTV footage analysis and statements from arrested suspects corroborated Ataul’s involvement in the stabbing.
A March 2024 survey by the city police revealed that Chittagong has around 200 active teen gangs with approximately 1,400 members. Over the past six years, these gangs have been linked to 548 criminal incidents, supported by 64 influential “big brothers” who patronize them.
Mohammad Eshak, Wahidul’s father, told *Proth that his son had gone out to offer Friday prayers when a friend lured him to Noyabazar, where he was attacked. He demanded exemplary punishment for his son’s killers.
The police survey also noted that 54% of students absent from Chittagong’s schools are involved in criminal activities, including pornography, cybercrime, robbery, theft, drug use, drug trafficking, and online gambling, often during school hours. This trend has contributed to the city’s deteriorating law and order situation and the rise of teen gangs
