Why are young men becoming so violent?

The senseless killing of Jahidul Islam Parvez, a 24-year-old student of Primeasia University, over a trivial matter encapsulates a frightening trend in our society: violence is seen as the only means of resolution to a conflict. What is scarier is the appeal of violence and brutality among young people, especially young men.

The three main suspects of the murder, who have been arrested after identification through CCTV footage, and the others also in the case are in their 20s. It all happened when Parvez and his friends were chatting and having snacks at a tea stall near the university campus. According to media reports, two female students of another private university were also there and they felt insulted because they thought Parvez and his friends were laughing at them. The young women seemed to have complained to their friends, as soon after, a group of young men, possibly students, came and confronted Parvez. Three teachers of the university intervened and resolved the issue. But the young men were not satisfied and later when Parvez and his friends were standing in front of the university, they launched their attack on Parvez and his friend Tarikul using sharp weapons. Parvez was stabbed in the chest and died of his wounds, while his friend was critically injured.

Thus, a young life was cut short just because he might have been laughing at two female students. Parvez’s assailants were so hungry for blood that they didn’t even care that they were committing murder in public, that they would have to bear the consequences of their brutal act. How can they be so cruel and callous about the loss of a life over such a trivial matter?

The violent attacks and deaths of teenagers by “kishor gangs” (teenage gangs) over the last few years are a symptom of a society that is losing its moral compass and has failed its youth. There is a staggering lack of empathy, respect, and compassion in our society, which has seeped into many of our young people. The regular news of college students violently clashing with each other and sometimes harming bystanders is evidence of this strange affinity towards brutality. Recently on the streets of Cumilla city, the rowdy demonstration of nearly a hundred young people, many wielding sharp weapons and making loud noises with their motorbikes, left residents and visitors petrified. CCTV footage of violent crimes taking place that flood social media often show that many of the perpetrators are young men, in their teens or twenties.

So what is happening to our youth? Well, to be honest, given the environment in which they grow up, it’s not shocking that many of our youth are prone to violent acts.

Politics has had a huge contribution in instilling this thirst for violence. Growing up watching the Boro Bhais (Big Brothers) of political parties getting “respect” through the fear they invoke among others with their brutality, many boys especially equate power with being how violent one can be. Though, typically, student wings of major political parties have used violence to establish their fiefdoms at universities, with the Awami League ruling uncontested for 15-plus years, its student wing Chhatra League had a free rein to be as violent as they wanted—and get away with it. In 2019, BUET student Abrar Fahad was cruelly beaten to death by Chhatra League members. They were his fellow students of the university that is considered to be one of the most prestigious institutions in the country.

According to a Prothom Alo report from last year, in 2024, there were about 237 “teenage” gangs in the country, with most of them being in Dhaka. Here, the term “teenage” can include young men in their early 20s. More than a thousand young men comprise these gangs and are involved in all kinds of crimes: mugging, extortion, drug trade, land-grabbing, sexual harassment, rape, and murder. Every now and then, fights between two gangs result in severe injuries or deaths.

While young criminals are routinely arrested and sent to jail, this social affliction is on the rise.

Educational institutions are also to blame for not instilling the values needed for students to grow up into empathetic beings. Financial hardship of the family, lack of communication between children and their parents, and physical abuse (by a parent or someone they know in their community) are other reasons why boys and young men are prone to violence. A misogynistic culture that punishes the female for being raped or sexually harassed and often provides impunity to the male perpetrators serve to encourage young men to commit these crimes.

While we talk a lot about the advantages of having a young population (almost 25 percent of the total population is in the 15-29 age group, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics) we often choose to ignore the fact that a huge proportion of our young people are deprived of basic prerequisites of a wholesome life. This includes access to quality education, skills training, health, nutritious food, and decent jobs. Many don’t get the guidance and love that are essential for children to grow up with good values. School curriculums are uninspiring, classrooms are overcrowded, and teachers don’t have the time to give personal attention to each student. There are not enough playgrounds or recreational facilities for young people. Entertainment has become confined to mobile devices with internet connection, exposing them to violent content and pornography that serve to glamorise sexual violence.

The truth is, our governments and society have grossly overlooked the nation’s most valuable asset: its young people. They have been seen merely as cheap labour that will keep the wheels of the economy running, that will bring in huge remittances. But little has been done at the policy or ground levels regarding development of youth that will be impactful.

The July uprising showed the strength and power of young people when they united and led the way to uprooting tyranny. Their courage and sacrifice moved people to join them in their fight for justice. Now is the time for society to harness this strength and spirit. The interim government and political parties must prioritise young people and plan how to empower them with quality education, skills training, and opportunities to earn, as well as make them feel part of nation-building. But most of all, society as a whole must teach young people to be empathetic, peace-loving human beings. It is the only way our nation can survive.

Aasha Mehreen Amin is joint editor at The Daily Star.

Views expressed in this article are the author’s own.