Children are increasingly at risk of being kidnapped, a children’s rights organisation has said, with official records showing an alarming rise in child abductions across the country.
The Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) says most kidnappings involve the participation of close relatives, friends and neighbours.
One worrying trend was the increased participation of law enforcement officials in kidnappings, they said.
In most cases, the children are lured away with chocolates or food, investigators said.
The modus operandi is frequently kidnap and ransom, followed by murder. Once the ransom is paid, the children are killed so that their abductors cannot be identified, investigators said. Another common practice is to traffic the child, either domestically or internationally.
Police Headquarters statistics show at least 80 children were abducted in just the first two months of this year – with 39 kidnappings in January and 41 in February. This is a massive increase over previous years.
At least 118 children were kidnapped during all of 2014 – 50 were later killed, according to BSAF records. Sixty-six children were rescued during attempted abductions.
In 2013, 42 children were kidnapped – 13 were killed. There were 67 kidnappings in 2012.
BSAF Director AS Mahmood told the Dhaka Tribune that there was no alternative to strict enforcement of the law to reduce kidnappings.
He said completing trials under the Speedy Trial Act would also help.
Creating public awareness about risks to children would prevent opportunities for kidnappings, Mahmood said, adding that it was easier for a relative or a friend than a complete stranger to have access to a child.
Jahangir Alam, a member of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Anti-Kidnapping Squad, told the Dhaka Tribune that in most of the cases, family members and close relatives were involved in child abduction.
Mahmood believes close relatives act mostly as carriers, handing over abducted children to real criminals and traffickers. “They are often unaware of the ultimate fate of the child they have helped to kidnap.”
In the case of female children, kidnappers not only kill them, they also sexually abuse them.
A new trend in child abductions has been that the perpetrators are increasingly women.
Professor Dr Zia Rahman, chairman of the Dhaka University criminology department, said women work as kidnappers because they are able to gain the trust of children more easily than men.
He added that the sight of a woman with a child, even an uncooperative child, rarely caused public suspicion.