Mohammad Saidul was seven years old when he disappeared from his home in Chattogram’s Khulshi area. For the next five years, his family lived with one unanswered question: where is my child?
His father, Mohammad Mostafa Kamal, searched everywhere. After filing a general diary (GD) at Khulshi Police Station, the family waited for answers that never came.
They searched with relatives, friends and neighbours, followed possible leads and visited different places in the hope of finding him.
Then, on 13 April 2026, five years after Saidul vanished, Mostafa saw his son’s photograph on the Facebook page of a national newspaper. He contacted the media outlet and was finally reunited with him.
“Those five years were extremely painful for us. My brothers, friends, elder relatives and uncles searched different places. We cried for him and tried everything possible,” Mostafa told TIMES.
Saidul had accidentally boarded a train from Chattogram and reached Dhaka. For five years, he lived among street children in the capital, surviving by collecting bottles and working at scrap shops.
“Alhamdulillah, he is now studying at a madrasa and has passed his examinations,” Mostafa said.
But Saidul’s story is an exception. For thousands of families whose children go missing every year, the search often continues without answers.
A recent report by news-based television channel Ekattor revealed that nearly 16,000 general diaries were filed over missing children cases in the past seven months.
Following public concern, Police Headquarters said more than 13,000 children had returned to their families, while slightly over 2,000 remained missing.
Rights activists say even this figure reflects a serious crisis.
“The number of missing children being 2,000 instead of 15,000 is not something to be relieved about. Two thousand children’s lives cannot remain uncertain,” said Ejazul Islam, executive director of Human Rights Support Society.
He said a missing child is not merely a statistic.
“A child is not just a number. A disappearance causes long-term emotional, social and economic suffering for families. Parents become helpless,” he said.
He added that criminal groups often exploit missing children by forcing them into begging, drug-related activities and other crimes.
Several police officials told Times of Bangladesh that thousands of children go missing every year, but there is no coordinated national mechanism dedicated to tracking and recovering missing children.
Families usually file GDs at local police stations after a child disappears. However, child rights activists allege that some families are discouraged from filing complaints, while others say immediate action is often delayed.
MUN Alert, a private organisation working on missing children cases, said the first 24 hours after a child disappears are crucial.
“Many families are not able to file GDs immediately after going to police stations. But the first 24 hours are extremely important,” said Maruf Hayath, media and communication officer of MUN Alert.
Families, police officials and child rights activists said police action is often faster when there are allegations of abduction or criminal involvement.
In Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya, police rescued 13-year-old Shafiqul and 11-year-old Shahidul 11 months after allegations that they had been abducted.
When asked why Saidul could not be found after disappearing from Chattogram, a duty officer at Khulshi Police Station said all current officials joined after 5 August 2024 and had no information about earlier events.
The officer said police collect a child’s photograph, age, physical description, last known location and other details after receiving a missing child complaint. They also collect CCTV footage, speak with family members and analyse possible reasons behind the disappearance.
If a child may have moved elsewhere, information is shared with relevant police stations and units.
Police Headquarters officials said missing child GD figures reflect a continuing trend.
According to police data, 17,808 GDs were filed over missing persons in 2023, 16,414 in 2024 and 22,550 in 2025.
Police said younger children often disappear after becoming separated from family members, while older children may leave home due to family conflicts, academic pressure, emotional distress or peer influence.
Over the past six months, MUN Alert received 1,226 reports of missing children. It issued alerts in 171 cases.
More than 800 children were rescued or reunited with their families. Fifteen children were found dead, while 41 remain missing.
Rights activists said some missing children become victims of crime or accidents.
A senior police official, speaking anonymously, said missing child cases involve different circumstances, including accidental separation, voluntary disappearance and abduction.
“Whenever complaints are received, we investigate. Family awareness is also important in preventing such incidents,” he said.
Ejazul Islam said delays and weak coordination often prevent timely rescue of missing children.
“A coordinated system is necessary to reduce child disappearance and trafficking. Quick investigation, effective law enforcement and exemplary punishment for offenders are essential,” he said.
Experts consider the first few hours after a child goes missing as the “golden hours” of a rescue operation.
Rapid circulation of information, stronger coordination among police units, immediate acceptance of GDs, CCTV-based investigations and technology-driven searches can improve the chances of finding missing children.
He also urged parents to remain cautious about children in crowded places and monitor their online interactions with strangers.
