September 30, 2025
DHAKA – Child abuse in Bangladesh has reached alarming levels and is now a serious national crisis, warned the Local Education and Economic Development Organization (LEEDO), a child rights organisation, yesterday.
Speaking at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club, LEEDO officials said abuse, both physical and sexual, is rising despite constitutional and legal safeguards.
According to data presented by the organisation, child rape cases increased by nearly 75 percent in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. From January to July, 306 children were victims of rape, up from 275 during the same period in 2024.
Citing recent reports in national newspapers, it highlighted several cases, including the abuse of a 10-year-old by her stepmother in Dhamrai, the sexual assault of a 7-year-old madrasa student in Cumilla, and the rape of a 12-year-old domestic worker in Gaibandha.
Incidents of children being exploited for online content have also emerged. In one case, a woman known as “Cream Apa” was arrested in Ashulia for allegedly abusing her children and forcing them to appear in videos on social media.
Between January and October 2024, at least 482 children were murdered, and 580 faced various forms of abuse, including physical assault, sexual violence, and corporal punishment by teachers, said LEEDO, citing figures from Dhaka Tribune.
Citing Unicef data, the organisation also said nine out of 10 Bangladeshi children aged 1–14 experience violent discipline at home at least once a month.
Meanwhile, a 2025 study by Springerlink found widespread physical abuse among child labourers in rural informal sectors, it added.
Forhad Hossain, founder and executive director of LEEDO, said to address the crisis, the organisation recommended several measures, including ensuring safe environments and counselling support in schools, effective monitoring to prevent domestic abuse of child workers, ending child labour by providing families with social protection and alternatives, and prioritising investigation and speedy trial of child abuse cases.
It also suggested expanding awareness programmes for parents, teachers and employers, protecting children’s identity in media coverage and promoting child rights campaigns, strengthening cyber laws to curb online abuse, and establishing child-friendly helplines.