Lack of Effort to Find Missing Children

Sakhawat Hossain and Mr. Hasan-uz-Zaman

“I myself have worked in the police administration. After my child Tamim went missing from Rajbari on Tuesday, May 20 last year, I have still not been able to find him. I have spent 16 months running from place to place, and nothing about my mental state is normal anymore. I went to the police. Even though I am a former police member, I did not receive much help or cooperation from them. At first, they treated me with respect for a few days. They spoke to me politely. But after about a month, whenever I went to them, I felt as if I had committed some wrongdoing. I received no respect from them.” Retired police member Nazrul Islam expressed his frustration over having to face such a situation while trying to find his missing son.

Meanwhile, child Mohammad Ibrahim went missing from the Mirpur-11 area of Dhaka on May 13. Ibrahim’s father, Mr. Jasim, is a fuchka seller by profession. He said, “On May 13, my son Ibrahim was abducted from our home. My son entered the building at 7:40pm. The CCTV footage showed that he never came out of the building. Pallabi Police Station initially did not take the GD. They kept saying, come in the morning, come in the afternoon, and finally took the GD on May 15. After the GD was filed, they only kept sending us from one place to another. After making us run around for 17 days, the police handed the investigation over to the DB.”

Nearly 16,000 Missing Children Reported in Seven Months

Cases of missing and abducted children are increasing at an alarming rate in Bangladesh.
According to data from the Police Headquarters, general diaries (GDs) were filed at different police stations across the country over the disappearance of nearly 16,000 children in the first seven months of this year. This means police received reports of more than 2,000 missing children on average every month.

The statistics have raised fresh questions about child safety, family awareness and the country’s social management system. Some children go missing while playing without their families’ knowledge. Some accidentally get off buses or other public transport and are unable to return home. Children are also frequently abducted after being lured with promises or other temptations. In some cases, families have even found the bodies of their children after paying ransom.

On the other hand, thousands of children born in slums in Dhaka and other major cities do not have birth registrations. There is also no information about their parents or other family members. There are no statistics with the police or other agencies on how many such children become lost or go missing.

Criminologists and social scientists believe that the government, along with various organisations, should come forward to register street children and children without guardians and help them grow up in a safe and healthy environment.

An investigation has found that although many missing children can be rescued quickly, a large number do not return even after a long period. Questions have also arisen about where some missing children are going, how they are being traced and why many of them remain unaccounted for even after a long time.

However, there are also examples of children being rescued quickly through the use of technology and increased social awareness. Experts and relevant organisations say the first few hours after a child goes missing are extremely important. This period is considered the “golden hour” of a rescue operation. The faster information about a missing child is shared with the police, relevant agencies, media and social media platforms, the greater the possibility of rescuing the child safely.

According to those concerned, the response should not be limited to filing a GD at a police station. Immediately after a child goes missing, information should be circulated in a coordinated manner. Technology-based child-tracking systems should be introduced, and communication between police stations should be strengthened. At the same time, family members must remain more alert about their children’s movements and safety.

No Comprehensive National Database

According to sources, Bangladesh does not have a single, comprehensive national database that can show how many children go missing every year, how many are abducted, how many become victims of trafficking, how many return voluntarily or how many are found dead. Legal experts and child protection organisations believe that a specific and coordinated national response system or framework is needed to ensure the rapid rescue of missing children.

They say it is important not only to examine the total number of missing children but also to closely review information about rescued children and the actual reasons behind their disappearance. Meanwhile, Police Headquarters said that 15,717 GDs were filed over missing children across the country between January and July this year.
Of them, 13,679 children were rescued or returned to their families. However, 2,038 children are still missing, accounting for nearly 13 percent of the total.

According to a notice issued by Police Headquarters last Thursday, GDs were filed over 474 children aged between zero and nine during the first seven months of the year. Of them, 406 were rescued, while 68 remain missing. The number of missing children aged between 10 and 17 was 15,243. Of them, 13,273 were rescued, while 1,970 remain missing.

Former IGP Calls for Serious Investigation

Former IGP Mr. Abdul Qayum told Inqilab that the issue of missing children is extremely sensitive. He said, “It is necessary to investigate with utmost importance who are involved in the abduction or disappearance of children and how they are being abducted or made to disappear. Members of the gangs involved in abduction and disappearance must be brought under the law and other agencies must coordinate with the police to uncover the mystery. At the same time, family members must also keep a careful eye on their children. Because today’s child is the future of tomorrow.”

Ahsania Mission Calls for Immediate Publicity

Sheikh Mahabbat Hossain, team leader of a special project on missing children at Ahsania Mission, told Inqilab that sometimes police themselves take missing children from victim support centres to different institutions. He said, “It is seen that among them, some children are reunited with their families after two years, three years or even more. Some children can never return to their families. Therefore, the government should immediately launch extensive publicity after any child goes missing, mentioning the location where the child went missing. If necessary, posters with photographs of the missing child should be distributed and the information should be publicised through the media. With proper publicity, more than 70 percent of children will return to their families.”

Legal Expert Urges Maximum Punishment

Mr. Mohammad Golam Sarwar, Assistant Professor of the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka, told Inqilab that many children are being abducted and some are being trafficked. He said, “Abducting gangs or criminal groups are forcing these abducted children to engage in various inhumane activities. Some groups abduct children to collect ransom. Cases involving missing children must be investigated with the highest priority. If anyone is involved in the disappearance of a child, the maximum punishment under the law must be ensured. These incidents must never be taken lightly.”

Police Say Action Will Be Taken Against Non-Cooperation

Mr. A.H.M. Shahadat Hossain, AIG (Media) of Police Headquarters, said field-level police officers have been instructed to treat cases of missing children with importance and sensitivity. He said the police are also making efforts to rescue missing children. “If any victim’s family complains that a police station was reluctant to accept a GD or failed to cooperate, the police will take departmental action,” he said.

He further said, “Many people make complaints based on different perceptions. That is why the online GD system has been introduced. There is no scope for any delay in accepting an online GD.” He stressed that family awareness is also important in cases involving missing children. Parents and guardians should pay extra attention to children in crowded places such as markets, fairs, parks, bus terminals and railway stations.