At least 155 children were killed across Bangladesh between January and August 2026 in incidents involving murder following disappearance, rape, physical abuse, and family-related violence, according to data compiled by Dhaka-based human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK). The figures, cited by local media, point to a deepening crisis of child safety in the country.

Breakdown of Child Deaths

According to ASK, 68 children died due to physical abuse during the first eight months of the year, while 49 lost their lives in incidents of family-related violence. The bodies of 36 children who had been reported missing were subsequently recovered. A further 26 children, including two boys, were killed after being sexually assaulted.

The rights organisation also recorded that four children died following attempted rape, three were shot dead, two domestic workers were killed as a result of physical abuse, two were killed by stalkers, and one was killed following abduction. In the same period, ASK documented 99 cases involving suicide, mysterious deaths, and the recovery of children's bodies, according to Dhaka Tribune.

Recent Cases Highlight the Pattern

Several cases have come to light in recent weeks that underscore the breadth of the problem. A 10-year-old child who went missing in Pabna Sadar on 9 September was found dead in a ditch seven days later. Police confirmed the child had been raped and killed, and two people have since been arrested.

In a separate incident, the body of a seven-year-old child who disappeared after going to school in Madarganj, Jamalpur, on 10 September was found buried beneath the floor of a classmate's house the following day. According to police, the classmate's father had raped and killed the child, with two people arrested in connection with the case. Notably, in multiple instances across Bangladesh, the accused were reportedly known to the victims.

Reports also indicate that seven children were killed alongside other family members in four separate incidents, further reflecting the range of violent circumstances involved.

Missing Children Crisis: Over 15,000 in Seven Months

The killings have unfolded alongside a continuing and large-scale crisis of children going missing. Bangladesh Police headquarters said in a press release that 15,717 children had gone missing during the first seven months of 2026. Of these, 13,679 were subsequently traced, but 2,038 remained missing — accounting for nearly 13 per cent of the total.

This comes amid broader concerns about child protection infrastructure in Bangladesh, where the recovery of dead bodies of missing children has been identified as part of a wider pattern of violence against minors. Rights groups argue that structural gaps in reporting, law enforcement response, and judicial accountability continue to leave children vulnerable.

What Comes Next

Child rights advocates are calling for a coordinated national response, including strengthened missing-persons protocols and faster judicial processing of cases involving minors. The data compiled by ASK and the police's own figures are expected to intensify pressure on the Bangladesh government to address what rights organisations describe as a systemic failure of child protection.