ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the landscape of criminal groups in Dhaka. It begins by exploring the mastaans and how and in what instances street children are hired as the ‘illicit labourers’ of these groups. It explores a variety of other criminal groups, including organised crime groups which are distinct from the mastaans, ‘rich or upper-class’ gangs, ‘student groups’ and then, finally, extremist groups and the ways in which terrorism is conceptualised in Bangladesh. The chapter also considers the nature of the groups and the associations they have with one another. The role of mastaans has also diversified into other forms of organised crime. The participants spoke about a variety of gangs involved in theft or robbery. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the complexity of criminal groups in Dhaka and the implications of this for global understandings of crime and violence.
