199 incidents across 61 districts; five deaths recorded; madrasa teachers accused in cases involving 131 children
Paris, France | 1 November 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) today released its ten-month monitoring report documenting 199 incidents of sexual violence involving 274 boy children in Bangladesh between 1 January and 31 October 2026. Behind these figures are children whose safety was violated in classrooms, residential institutions, homes and familiar neighbourhoods—often by people they knew or were expected to trust.JMBF strongly condemns the reported violence and calls for urgent protection for children, thorough investigations and accountability for anyone responsible for abuse or its concealment.
Published from JMBF’s headquarters in Paris, the report documents allegations of rape in 183 incidents involving 257 children and attempted rape in 16 incidents involving 17 children, across 61 districts in all eight divisions. Five incidents involved deaths following alleged sexual violence. In 67 incidents, 136 children reportedly experienced repeated abuse—almost half of all recorded victims.
Repeated abuse means that, for many children, the danger did not end after one assault. It raises painful questions about whether they could safely tell someone, whether anyone listened and what happened when help was sought. Authorities and institutions must answer those questions through proper investigations.
JMBF Founder President Advocate Shahanur Islam stated:
“Every one of these children deserved to be safe. A child who finds the courage to speak about abuse must be heard and protected—not threatened, silenced or sent back into danger. It is deeply disturbing that some of the people accused were entrusted with children’s education and care."
He also added,
“No institution’s reputation is worth more than a child’s safety. Anyone who abuses a child, conceals an offence or pressures a family to remain silent must face investigation and, where responsibility is established, lawful accountability. Arrests cannot be the end of the response. Children need treatment, someone they can trust, support to continue their education and a justice process that does not cause them further harm.”
Madrasa students accounted for 180 victims across 121 incidents, representing 65.7% of recorded victims. Madrasas were the reported location in 100 incidents involving 158 victims. These are different measures: a child’s educational background does not necessarily identify where the alleged abuse occurred.
Madrasa teachers were recorded as accused persons in 93 incidents involving 131 victims. The report lists 115 madrasa-teacher accused entries, representing 49.4% of all accused-person entries. Together, madrasa teachers, madrasa students, imams and muezzins were identified as alleged perpetrators in 107 incidents involving 150 victims.
The report also records allegations against ten schoolteachers across ten incidents involving 40 victims, as well as allegations involving neighbours, relatives, employers and others.
These findings concern allegations against individuals and should not be used to condemn entire communities or institutions. They must, however, prompt serious scrutiny of how children are supervised, how complaints are handled and whether institutional authority is being used to prevent disclosure. Religious standing, professional status and political influence must never place anyone beyond investigation.
One of the most troubling accounts concerns a seven-year-old madrasa student in Savar who was allegedly repeatedly raped by fellow students and a teacher. According to the documented complaint, when the child sought help from a teacher, that teacher allegedly raped him instead of protecting him.
In Bandarban, a headteacher was accused of raping more than 15 boys. In Rampura, allegations involving the sexual abuse of five madrasa students also concerned the death of one child.
Other accounts describe children being threatened, offered inducements or discouraged from telling their families. Some include allegations that people in positions of authority tried to conceal the abuse or help a suspect escape.
A child’s access to protection must never depend on whether an institution fears damage to its reputation. JMBF demands independent, accessible complaint mechanisms and investigations into every credible allegation of intimidation, concealment or failure to respond.
Police cases or General Diary entries were recorded in 169 incidents involving 203 victims. The report records 179 arrests across 147 incidents, while no arrest was recorded in 52 incidents.
For a child and their family, an arrest may be an important step, but it does not resolve the need for safety, treatment or justice. Authorities must preserve evidence, protect witnesses and keep families informed as cases progress. An arrest does not establish guilt, and every accused person is entitled to fair proceedings.
JMBF firmly rejects pressure on families to withdraw complaints or accept informal settlements in place of lawful accountability. Children must not bear the cost of protecting an institution or an influential individual.
The report separately records five judgments delivered during the reporting period concerning earlier offences: three sentences of life imprisonment, one sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and one death sentence. These cases are excluded from the 199-incident total. JMBF opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and calls for effective accountability consistent with human rights.
JMBF calls on the Government of Bangladesh and the responsible authorities to:
- Investigate every documented allegation promptly and impartially, including allegations of concealment, intimidation and assistance to suspects.
- Enforce child protection standards in schools, madrasas, orphanages and residential institutions, with independent complaint mechanisms and regular oversight.
- Protect children, families and witnesses from retaliation and prevent the disclosure of information that could identify victims.
- Provide medical treatment, sustained psychosocial care, legal assistance and support to continue education, without placing the financial burden on affected families.
- Ensure timely, child-sensitive proceedings, respecting defence rights and safeguards for accused children.
- Publish anonymised updates on investigations and judicial progress, so that complaints, arrests, charge sheets, trials and judgments can be tracked separately.
JMBF calls on the authorities to act with the urgency these children and their families deserve—and to hold accountable anyone found responsible for placing them in danger or denying them help.
In solidarity,
Ms. Jannatul Ferdous
Assistant Secretary General
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
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READ & DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT IN ENGLISH (PDF)
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan international human rights organization registered in France under the French Association Law of 1901 (Registration No. W931027714), committed to defending human rights, promoting social justice, and empowering marginalised communities in Bangladesh and beyond. JMBF is officially registered in the European Union Transparency Register (REG No. 0635235105176-78).
