A total of 15,717 children were reported missing across Bangladesh between January and July this year, of whom 2,038 remain untraced, Police Headquarters (PHQ) said yesterday.

In a press release, the PHQ said 13,679 missing children were rescued or returned to their families during the period, while the untraced children accounted for 13 percent of the total missing reports.

The figures were disclosed by the PHQ following reports in several media outlets that more than 15,000 children had gone missing during the first seven months of 2026.

Police Headquarters said the reports did not mention the subsequent status of the missing children, including how many were rescued or returned to their families, which created the possibility of public confusion.

According to the police verification through respective police stations, 474 children aged between zero and nine years were reported missing from January to July. Of them, 406 were rescued, while 68 remained untraced.

During the same period, 15,243 children aged between 10 and 17 years were reported missing. Of them, 13,273 were rescued, while 1,970 remained untraced.

Police Headquarters also said the number of general diaries (GDs) related to missing persons had increased significantly after the introduction of online GD services as part of efforts to make police services easier for citizens.

The police data showed that 17,808 missing-person GDs were filed in 2023, 16,414 in 2024 and 22,550 in 2025.