What to do first if a child goes missing

The incident happened on the afternoon of 3 September. I will not mention my household help's real name here. Let us call her Rabu Apa. She also looks after my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

I sent her downstairs to buy something. My daughter insisted on going with her too. Her intention was to go along and persuade auntie to buy her some crisps or chocolate. There is a grocery shop just downstairs. I said, “All right, go.”

After 20 to 25 minutes, Rabu Apa returned and what she told me left me frozen with fear. She said, “Apa, the child was beside me while I was sorting out the groceries. Suddenly, I realised she was not there. When I started looking around, I saw a woman holding the child’s hand and hurriedly walking towards the end of the lane. I ran towards the woman and asked her why she was taking the child. Instead, she asked me, ‘Is this your child?’ I quickly took the child and came back.”

I immediately went downstairs with Rabu Apa to look for the woman, but we could not find her. As there were no CCTV cameras on the road, there was no other way to identify or trace the woman.

I do not know what might have happened if Rabu Apa had taken even a little longer to realise that my daughter was no longer beside her. After this incident, I do not know whether I will ever have the courage to let my daughter go outside with anyone other than her father.

However, following the incident, I began looking into what should be done immediately if a child goes missing. I am sharing what I learned with you.

Once you realise that your child is missing, the most important thing is to remain as calm as possible even in such an extremely distressing situation. The first hour after a child goes missing is particularly crucial. It is often referred to as the “golden hour”.

Every second of that first hour matters because your child is more likely to still be in the area during this period. Instead of wasting time in panic, it is essential to act quickly and systematically.

Establish where, when and with whom the child was last seen. Quickly search likely locations in and around the area, including the house, staircases, rooftop, lanes, shops, playgrounds, schools, parks and bus stops. Do not search alone; divide family members and people you know among different locations.

Do not wait in the hope that the child will return on their own. Contact the nearest police station immediately. Call the national emergency service on 999. The sooner the police are informed after a child goes missing, the sooner they can begin the search. This can also increase the chances of finding the child quickly. CCTV footage from nearby locations can be particularly helpful in such cases.

Give the police the child’s latest photograph and details such as their name, age, height, complexion, clothing and footwear, any distinctive physical marks, and where and when they were last seen. Also file a missing-person complaint or a General Diary (GD). If the child has a mobile phone, call it. Do not delete any available information about the phone’s last known location, calls, messages or other digital activity.

You can circulate the child’s disappearance through local and trusted social media groups, using a recent, clear photograph and essential information. However, do not disclose unnecessary personal information such as the birth registration number or full home address. Share the information, with the necessary details, in relevant Facebook and other social media groups serving the area where the child lives and the area where they were last seen.

Search road corners, the points where lanes meet main roads, nearby hospitals and clinics, as well as bus terminals, railway stations and launch terminals.

In January this year, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police, in collaboration with Amber Alert for Bangladesh, launched a special service called 'MUN Alert' (Missing Urgent Notification) to help quickly rescue missing and abducted children.

The alert system was named after Muntaha, a child who was abducted and killed in Sylhet in 2024.

If a child goes missing anywhere in the country, the incident can be reported by calling the CID’s toll-free hotline at 13219. Information about a missing child can also be reported through the 'MUN Alert' website (munalert.org).

The CID said it would take immediate action, considering the first three hours after a child goes missing as the “golden time”.

People can also report information at anytime from anywhere in the country by calling the national emergency service 999.

In January, the CID said the emergency alerts would be disseminated through the official web portal and mobile app, as well as online and offline news media, social media, digital billboards, bank ATM booths, SMS messages sent to mobile phones when necessary, and other technologies.

The aim is to enable members of the public to provide information quickly and assist in rescue efforts. Throughout the process, the dignity, safety and privacy of children will receive the highest priority.

In a press release issued by the Police Headquarters on 3 September, the police said that 15,717 children went missing across the country between January and July this year. Of them, the whereabouts of 2,038 children still remain unknown.

The police said they had rescued or reunited 13,679 missing children with their families during that period. This means that the whereabouts of around 13 per cent of the missing children remain unknown.

However, the police said that being reported missing does not necessarily mean that a child has been abducted or trafficked.

The figures provided by the police primarily represent the number of General Diaries (GDs) filed in connection with missing children.

Particularly in the case of young children, the figures also include incidents in which children become separated from their families while outside, cannot provide their family members’ names or addresses, or end up elsewhere while trying to return home alone.

To dispel public confusion, the police have assured people that law enforcement agencies remain vigilant around the clock to rescue missing children. Efforts to locate the remaining children are continuing.