Seventeen suspected members of a youth gang have escaped police custody following a chaotic incident inside the Daudkandi Model Police Station in Cumilla.

The event unfolded at around 9:00 pm on Wednesday, following an extensive day-long operation conducted across several areas of Daudkandi Upazila. Officers detained 28 individuals on suspicion of ties to local youth gang activities and held them in a designated room inside the police headquarters.

Local sources indicate that tension flared among the detainees as the evening progressed. A group inside the holding room grew agitated, smashing plastic chairs before forcibly breaking down the door. In the ensuing disorder, 17 of the 28 detainees managed to flee the station grounds.

Footage circulating on social media showed a room littered with broken plastic chairs and a damaged door, sparking intense debate among local residents regarding security protocols at the police station. Many questioned how a sizable group could slip out of a heavily secured government facility.

The Officer-in-Charge of Daudkandi Model Police Station, Mohammad Sajedul Islam, presented a starkly different account of the evening. He firmly denied any acts of violence or structural vandalisation, attributing the escape to environmental confusion rather than a forced breakout.

“No vandalisation took place,” Officer-in-Charge Islam stated. “Following the detention of the suspects, a large number of their family members gathered at the station and created a crowd. During the commotion, a few youths walked out. However, we subsequently re-detained them, and appropriate legal action is being taken.”

Law enforcement agencies across Bangladesh have intensified drives against the rising phenomenon of “Kishore Gangs”—juvenile syndicates linked to extortion, street harassment, and violent clashes. While police operations aim to curb street crime, experts stress that law enforcement alone cannot solve youth delinquency. Addressing the underlying social factors, family environments, and educational gaps remains vital to rehabilitating young offenders.

Discrepancies remain between police statements and eyewitness accounts regarding whether structural damage occurred and whether all escapees were successfully rounded up. The police department is expected to issue a formal clarify detailing the precise charges and any ongoing investigation into security measures at the facility.