In the past two days, the neighbourhoods of Shekhertek, Mohammadpur, Adabor, Beribadh, and Uttara in Dhaka have transformed into a real-life Gotham City. Over 15 WhatsApp groups comprising young people from different generations have become the capital’s own Batman, spending sleepless nights to protect their communities.
Similar scenes unfolded across the city. Dhanmondi, Rajarbagh, Badda, and Mirpur were also attacked by stray robbers and politically motivated student wings, attempting to destabilise a nation liberated through the sacrifices of its youth. The police force, paralysed by the fall of the previous government, refused to work, leading to a spike in crime reports on social media.
The situation escalated early on Tuesday following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the fall of the Awami League government after 15 years of rule. On Monday, Sheikh Hasina resigned and departed for India. In the aftermath, many police stations were vandalised and set ablaze, with numerous arms and ammunitions looted. The violence resulted in numerous deaths due to crossfire.
Amid this turmoil, rumours have been rife, keeping citizens on edge and fearing a return to war-like conditions. The first incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when rumours spread about RAW agents firing at police and taking over Rajarbagh Police Lines. However, this propaganda was quashed when it was revealed that the army was evacuating police personnel stranded during the vandalism and arson attacks.
On Tuesday night, the areas of Beribadh, Dhaka Uddan, Nobodoy Housing, Bashbari, Mohammadia Housing, Chan Mia Housing, and Chand Udyan were targeted by robbers. Locals made announcements from mosques and took to the streets around midnight, confronting the criminals. The army intervened and apprehended several robbers.
There was no respite on Wednesday as well as Shekhertek, Dhanmondi and Mirpur became the new targets. Reports of robbery and arson flooded in, with Facebook users live-streaming the chaos in areas like ECB Chattar near the Mirpur Cantonment. The sound of army sirens filled the air as they worked to restore order.
Moreover, reports of attempted break-ins and large mobs attacking buildings poured in continuously from Shekhertek 11, 6, and 2. It was difficult to discern which reports were legitimate and which were false.
The true magic, however, lay in the swift and organised response of the city's youth. As the robbery wave began on Tuesday night, young people quickly formed a Facebook group and, from there, established area-specific WhatsApp groups. Over 15 groups were created, including those for Central , Ramna, Shahbagh, Banani, Uttara, Tejgaon, Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Shekhertek, and more.
As the number of members increased, the groups exceeded their capacity limits on the original platform. Consequently, they had to migrate to other platforms to accommodate the growing membership and ensure smoother communication and functionality.
These groups operated like a network of vigilant heroes, constantly updating each other with news and alerts. Students and youths, some wearing bright green vests, patrolled the streets on bikes to ensure stability in the capital. Residents, along with these young volunteers, armed themselves with sticks and took to the streets. They worked in collaboration with army officers to detain many robbers.
The army provided emergency contact lists and responded swiftly to incidents. The Facebook group "Traffic Alert" and the group the young generation used for emergency response became a hub for real-time updates on robberies and other occurrences.
As this report is being written, more micro-groups are forming in Shekhertek for faster response times. One member of the Shekhertek quick response team proudly declared, “We are the Batmen of Shekhertek’s Gotham City.”
This spontaneous mobilisation of Dhaka’s youth is a powerful testament to community resilience and solidarity. In a time of crisis, these young people have shown that by coming together, they can protect their neighbourhoods and restore a sense of safety and order.
Now, more than ever, people must come together to safeguard the country they liberated through immense sacrifice.
