13,876 GDs filed over missing children in six months of 2025: Information Adviser

A total of 13,876 general diaries (GDs) were filed across the country in connection with missing children between June and December in 2025, said Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman.

The information adviser presented the figures at a press conference held at the Secretariat on Tuesday (1 September) on the progress of various government activities.

Clarifying that a GD does not necessarily mean a child has never returned home, Dr Zahed Ur Rahman said a large proportion of missing children eventually return to their families. However, the government currently does not have comprehensive data on exactly how many children ultimately remain missing, he added.

“We assume that a large proportion return. Some newspapers have subsequently published follow-up reports, and that is actually the role of the media,” he said.

Regarding statistics on missing adults, he said GDs had been filed concerning 13,580 adults over the past seven months, compared with 13,003 during the preceding seven-month period. The figures for the two periods are therefore relatively close, he noted.

The prime minister’s adviser said missing children is undoubtedly a matter of concern, but cautioned against presenting it as an entirely new crisis for Bangladesh.