Why Child Abuse Cases on the Rise in B’desh ?

May 31, 2026

Bangladesh is witnessing an alarming rise in threats to children emerging from within familiar circles such as neighbours, relatives, teachers, and close acquaintances. The issue has drawn renewed scrutiny following two recent brutal incidents, including the rape and murder of an eight-year-old child in Dhaka’s Pallabi area, whose decapitated body was found in a neighbour’s home on May 19. In another disturbing incident in the Netrokona district, an 11-year-old child was reportedly subjected to a brutal sexual assault, leaving her seven months pregnant. These are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of violence against women and children. As per the findings, nine out of 10 offenders are familiar faces operating within the victim’s immediate circles. The data showed that immediate neighbours were responsible for 40.58 per cent of recorded rape cases, with 125 out of 308 incidents linked to them. This was followed by acquaintances at 21.43 per cent, teachers or religious instructors at 14.61 per cent, and close relatives at 13.64 per cent. In stark contrast, strangers made up just 9.74 per cent of the reported incidents. Highlighting the concentration of violence against children within intimate spaces, the finding revealed that nearly 66.12 per cent of 124 child murders and 59.09 per cent of 308 sexual abuse cases occurred in the home or family environment. Dhaka-based Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), in its fourmonth report covering January to April, found that 56 out of 81 rape victims of known age – nearly 70 percent – were children aged between 0 and 12. During the same period, 63 of the 115 children killed were aged between 0 and 12, highlighting the disproportionate risk faced by the younger age groups. Nearly 10 per cent of child rape cases in 2025 involved victims being killed in an effort to destroy evidence.