A deepening child safety crisis in Bangladesh has left parents in a state of constant dread, as a wave of killings, disappearances and sexual abuse cases continues to mount across the country, according to a report by The Border Lens. Rights data compiled by the Dhaka-based organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) recorded 155 children killed between January and August 2026 in incidents involving murder following disappearance, rape, physical abuse and other forms of violence.

A Family's Worst Fear: The Case of Ishiat Opratim

On 18 September 2026, a 13-year-old boy, Ishiat Shahriar Opratim, left his home in Cumilla district telling his mother he was heading out with friends to take photographs with her iPhone. He never returned. According to police and Bangladeshi media reports, his body was recovered nearly 24 hours later from the Sananda hillocks near Comilla University, where his mother, Nahida Begum, works as an associate professor.

'I have only one son. What do I have to live for now? They could have taken the iPhone, but why did they kill my son? I came to work in Cumilla — is this my crime? Why was my son killed? I want the answer to this. How will I live now?' The Border Lens quoted Nahida Begum as saying.

On the same day, three children from a single family — aged 10, seven, and two — were killed in Tahirpur upazila in Sunamganj district, according to the report.

The Missing Children Crisis

The killings represent only part of a wider emergency. According to a press release issued by Bangladeshi police headquarters, 15,717 children went missing during the first seven months of the year alone. While 13,679 were subsequently traced, 2,038 remained unaccounted for — nearly 13 per cent of the total. Multiple Bangladeshi media outlets, including the country's leading newspaper The Daily Star, reported the scale of disappearances as a national emergency.

This comes amid what observers describe as a sustained deterioration of law and order across Bangladesh, with parents — particularly in urban centres like Dhaka — expressing acute anxiety about their children's daily movements.

'We are passing a hard time in Bangladesh now. Our children are not safe in their own country. All the time we are very anxious about our children's safety,' said Sheuli Akter, a mother of a nine-year-old in Dhaka, as quoted by The Border Lens.

Abuse Inside Religious Institutions

The report flagged a troubling pattern involving residential religious institutions. In Savar, Dhaka, a seven-year-old boy was allegedly subjected to repeated sexual abuse over nearly six months at the madrasa where he lived and studied. His father subsequently registered a case against 10 individuals from the institution, including multiple teachers, according to the report.

'The case statement alleged that the child first experienced abuse within weeks of enrolling and later sought help from a teacher, who allegedly abused him and threatened him with expulsion if he told his parents,' the report noted. The allegations have not yet been independently verified by a court.

Political Accountability and What Comes Next

The deteriorating situation has drawn sharp criticism of the current administration. 'Under Tarique Rahman, the government cannot ensure the safety of our beloved children. There is no law and order. Almost every other day, we are losing our precious children. This is heartbreaking. A country cannot go on like this,' a mother from Dhaka told The Border Lens on condition of anonymity.

Rights organisations and child welfare advocates are now pressing the government for a dedicated emergency response mechanism. With ASK's data covering only the first eight months of the year, the final annual toll could be considerably higher if current trends persist.