Dhaka, Sep 21 (IANS) : Amid escalating violence against children in Bangladesh, as many as 155 children were killed between January and August this year in incidents involving murder following disappearance, rape, physical abuse and other forms of violence across the country, local media reported, citing a human rights organisation.
Dhaka-based rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) said the bodies of 36 children reported missing were recovered during the first eight months of this year, while 68 children died due to physical abuse and 49 in incidents of family-related violence. Another 26 children, including two boys, were killed after being raped.
The rights body said that four children lost their lives following attempted rape, while three were shot dead. Two domestic workers died as a result of physical abuse, two children were killed by stalkers, and another was killed following abduction. During the same period, ASK recorded 99 cases of suicide, mysterious deaths, and recovery of children’s bodies, Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune reported.
Reports suggest that the recovery of dead bodies of missing children forms part of a wider pattern of violence against minors in Bangladesh, with recent cases involving rape and murder, fatal physical abuse and the killing of children alongside their family members.
In multiple instances, the accused were reportedly known to the victims.
Several cases involving the killing of children across Bangladesh have emerged in recent weeks.
A 10-year-old child who went missing in Pabna Sadar on September 9 was found dead in a ditch seven days later. Police said the child had been raped and killed, with two people arrested over the incident.
In another case, the body of a seven-year-old child who disappeared after going to school in Madarganj, Jamalpur, on September 10 was found buried beneath the floor of a classmate’s house the next day.
According to the Police, the classmate’s father had raped and killed the child, with two people arrested in connection with the case.
Citing reports, Dhaka Tribune reported that seven children were also killed alongside other family members in four separate incidents.
The killings of children have unfolded alongside a continuing crisis of children going missing across Bangladesh. Various media reported that over 15,000 children disappeared nationwide between January and July this year, highlighting the scale of the problem.
Earlier this month, Bangladeshi police headquarters in a press release said that 15,717 children had gone missing during the first seven months of the year. Although 13,679 were traced, 2,038 remained missing, accounting for nearly 13 per cent of the total.
