The Police Headquarters has clarified that more than 15,000 missing child cases reported for the first seven months of this year refer to general diaries (GDs) filed over missing incidents, not the number of children who remain missing.
According to police data, a total of 15,717 children were reported missing between January and July, and GDs were filed in those cases. Of them, 13,679 children have already been rescued or returned to their families, while 2,038 children are still untraced.
The clarification came in a press release issued by the Police Headquarters on Thursday following widespread media reports and public concern over the number of missing children.
Earlier, reports on the disappearance of more than 15,000 children had raised concerns among the public. However, police said those reports did not include updated information on how many children had later been found or reunited with their families.
The Police Headquarters said the figure of 15,717 mainly represents the number of GDs filed after children went missing. In many cases, children are later recovered, but the original GD remains part of official records.
On September 1, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman also explained that the figure represented missing-related GDs rather than the number of children currently missing.
“When a child goes missing, family members file a GD at the police station. Later, many of them return to their families. Therefore, presenting the total number of GDs as the number of children still missing may create a wrong impression,” he said.
According to police data, among children aged between zero and nine years, 474 missing cases were recorded during the period. Of them, 406 children were rescued, while 68 remain missing.
For children aged between 10 and 17 years, 15,243 missing cases were recorded. Of them, 13,273 children were rescued, while 1,970 remain missing.
Police said younger children usually go missing after getting separated from family members, losing their way in unfamiliar places, or being unable to provide their identity details.
For older children, police cited reasons including family disputes, emotional distress, academic pressure, the influence of friends or classmates, attempts to seek independence, and other personal or social factors.
The Police Headquarters also said the number of GDs has increased significantly since the introduction of online GD services, which have made it easier for people to report incidents.
Police statistics show that GDs related to missing cases stood at 17,808 in 2023, 16,414 in 2024, and 22,550 in 2025.
Police reiterated that the number of missing-person GDs and the number of children currently missing are not the same, as recovered children remain included in the total number of reported cases.
