Published : 20 Sep 2026, 09:28 PM
Updated : 20 Sep 2026, 09:28 PM
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has expressed concern over the recovery of the bodies of 36 missing children across Bangladesh in the first eight months of this year.
Citing the recovery of the body of 13-year-old school student Ishayat Shahriar Apratim, who went missing in Cumilla, the rights organisation said on Sunday that recent incidents involving missing children, rape and murder, torture, and other forms of violence have raised serious concerns about their safety.
“Between January and August, the bodies of 36 children were recovered after they had gone missing.
“During the same period, ASK’s monitoring recorded the deaths of a total of 254 children in different incidents,” it said.
ASK said the figures are compiled primarily from reports published in media outlets.
According to Police Headquarters data, at least 15,717 children went missing between January and June.
Of them, 13,679 were recovered, while 2,038 remain missing. Police, however, said the figures may contain discrepancies because missing-person data are not subsequently updated.
ASK said protecting children’s lives, safety, and dignity is a fundamental responsibility of the state, calling for effective measures in line with the Constitution, the National Child Policy, the Children Act, and Bangladesh’s international commitments.
The rights group also urged the establishment of an integrated, regularly updated national database on missing children to provide an accurate picture of those missing, recovered and still untraced, while helping identify risk patterns and introduce preventive measures.
ASK Executive Director Shahinur Rahman said the recovery of a child’s body after they go missing should not be treated as an isolated criminal incident.
“An impartial and effective investigation must be conducted into how the child went missing, what steps the relevant authorities took to locate them, whether there was any negligence or lack of coordination, and who was involved in the crime,” he said.
ASK said the recovery of a child’s body after their disappearance is “by no means a normal situation”, stressing the need for a swift and effective response from state institutions, coordinated preventive measures, and accountability to ensure a safe environment for children.
