The body of 13-year-old Ishayat Shahriar Opratim, who went missing in Comilla, was recently recovered. Earlier, on September 9, a 10-year-old schoolboy went missing in Pabna Sadar and was found dead after allegedly being raped. In other cases this year, missing children have been found buried or their bodies recovered from rivers.
The recovery of children’s bodies after they go missing is only part of a wider pattern of violence against children. Recent cases have also involved rape and murder, deaths from physical abuse, and children being killed alongside family members. In several cases, people known to the victims have been accused.
According to human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), the bodies of 36 missing children were recovered in the first eight months of this year.
ASK compiles its statistics from media reports. Its data show that 155 children died between January and August in incidents involving murder following disappearance, rape, physical abuse and other forms of violence.
Of them, 68 died from physical abuse and 49 in family-related violence. Another 26 were killed after rape, including two boys. Four children were killed following attempted rape, while three were shot dead. Two domestic workers died after physical abuse, two children were killed by stalkers, and one was killed following abduction.
ASK also recorded 99 cases involving suicide, mysterious deaths and the recovery of children’s bodies during the period.
In the first week of September, Inspector General of Police Ali Hossain Fakir said children had gone missing in the past as well, but such incidents were now receiving greater media attention. Describing the issue as a “deep conspiracy”, he said 87% of missing children had been rescued or traced.
Bodies recovered after children go missing
A series of child killings have come to light in recent weeks.
A 10-year-old child went missing in Pabna Sadar on September 9. Seven days later, the child’s body was recovered from a ditch. Police said the child had been raped and killed. Two people have been arrested in connection with the case.
The following day, the body of a seven-year-old child who went to school in Madarganj, Jamalpur, on September 10 and did not return home was found buried beneath the floor of a classmate’s house. Police said the classmate’s father had raped and killed the child. Two people were arrested.
Recent media reports also show that seven children were killed alongside other family members in four separate incidents.
On June 25, a mother and her three daughters were hacked to death after assailants entered their rented home in Raipur, Lakshmipur. The daughters were Sipa, 10, Ikra, 17, and Saima Akter, 21.
In August, 12-year-old Ayush was killed in Rangpur along with retired teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife and their adult daughter.
The same month, the body of a one-year-old child was recovered from a river in Shibchar, Madaripur, five days after the body of the child’s mother was found. Police said the mother and child had been killed.
In Tahirpur, Sunamganj, three children aged 10, seven and two were killed in the same family in the early hours of September 18.
There have also been numerous other killings involving people of all ages. According to Police Headquarters data, 2,362 murder cases were filed nationwide between January and August, an average of about 295 cases a month.
More than 2,000 children still missing
Alongside child killings, cases of children going missing have also continued.
Various media outlets reported that more than 15,000 children went missing nationwide between January and July this year.
Against this backdrop, Police Headquarters said in a September 3 press release that 15,717 children had gone missing during the first seven months of the year, of whom more than 87% had been rescued. A total of 13,679 children were traced, leaving 2,038 still missing, or nearly 13% of the total.
Reasons cited by police
According to police assessments, children aged up to nine generally go missing after getting lost while travelling with family members to unfamiliar places, being unable to provide their names or addresses, or taking a different route while returning home alone.
For children aged 10 to 17, police cited factors including anger or resentment toward family members, academic pressure, running away out of shame after becoming involved in unethical activities, a desire for independent living, attempts to obtain money or other benefits from family members, family disputes and unrest, and the influence of friends or classmates.
Police Headquarters said online general diaries (GDs) have been introduced as part of efforts to make police services more accessible, resulting in a significant increase in the number of GDs filed.
According to police data, 17,808 GDs concerning missing children were filed in 2023, 16,414 in 2024 and 22,550 in 2025.
Between January and July 2026, 15,717 children were reported missing. Of them, 13,679, or more than 87%, were rescued, while 2,038 remain missing.
Additional Inspector General of Police (Crime and Operations) Khandker Rafiqul Islam told Dhaka Tribune on Sunday evening that cases of children being raped, killed or going missing were not new.
“Children” refers to those aged below 18, he said, adding that they could go missing for various reasons, including abduction, rape, adolescents eloping due to romantic relationships and resentment toward parents.
“However, when the number becomes large, it concerns us,” he said.
He also acknowledged a previous gap in police records, saying there had not been a separate list of children who were rescued after missing-person GDs were filed. “That is now being done,” he said.
“We are distressed when children fall victim to such incidents,” Rafiqul Islam said. “Police are working to protect children.”
He said police were collecting photographs along with online GDs, conducting investigations and taking steps for quick recovery, maintaining regular contact with families and preparing lists of rescued children.
Police are also working to trace missing children, many of whom have already been recovered, he said. Legal assistance is being provided to children who are victims of murder and rape, while their families are also being given security, he added.
Child protection and state accountability
UNICEF expressed concern over the rape and killing of children in Bangladesh in a statement on May 22. Rana Flowers, then UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, called for an end to impunity and urged authorities to ensure children’s safety at home, in institutions and across society.
UNICEF also stressed the need to address gaps in reporting mechanisms, child-friendly policing and judicial processes, local protection services, and psychosocial support. It also called for greater accountability in schools, madrasas and workplaces.
Human rights activist Advocate Sultana Kamal told Dhaka Tribune on Sunday evening that society had failed to develop and practice a culture of intellectual and social awareness.
“As a result, vulnerable people who have limited ability to resist or seek redress continue to face abuse and violence,” she said. “Women and children are among those groups.”
She said women and children are particularly vulnerable compared with other sections of society. “Children, especially, cannot protest or even understand that they are being abused. As a result, they cannot report it or explain to others what is happening to them.”
Sultana Kamal said such abuse often continues for a long time before coming to public attention, while many more cases remain hidden.
On child protection and state accountability, she said the state must ensure proper and impartial investigation, justice and punishment in such cases.
She also pointed to concerns over attitudes within the justice system, saying violence against women and children is sometimes not taken seriously or is blamed on the victim—including the woman, child or mother.
She said Bangladesh had been largely indifferent to developing a culture of human rights and had also gone through prolonged political instability.
“Political instability, a lack of social and cultural values, and disrespect for people’s dignity, honour and rights—all these factors contribute to the growing number of such incidents,” she said.
“The state must play the leading role in addressing these issues, while society itself must also work to bring about change.”