The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday launched Bangladesh’s first national emergency alert system for missing and abducted children, introducing a 24/7 toll-free helpline aimed at speeding up recovery efforts.
The system, “Mun (Missing Urgent Notification) Alert,” is named after five-year-old Muntaha Akter, who was abducted from Kanaighat in Sylhet on 3 March 2024 and whose body was recovered a week later.
According to data released by Police Headquarters, an average of at least three child abductions occurred every day across the country in 2024, while 29% of abducted children could not be rescued.
The CID launched the system in a joint initiative with Amber Alert for Bangladesh at a ceremony held at the CID headquarters in the capital.
CID chief and Additional Inspector General Md Sibgat Ullah said information related to missing children can initially be shared through the Mun Alert website, the toll-free helpline 13219, the national emergency service 999 and the Missing Children Cell at 01320017060.
He said the CID is already in communication with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, adding that Facebook’s Amber Alert system currently operates in around 37 countries.
Sibgat Ullah expressed hope that the system would be introduced in Bangladesh within March. Once launched, people will be able to share and receive information about missing children through Facebook, in addition to the Mun Alert website and the toll-free number.
He said steps are also being taken in future phases to introduce modern wristbands for children to help parents track their location.
CID officials said photographs and information of missing children will be displayed on digital billboards, mobile SMS and cell broadcasting systems, metro station screens, ATM booth monitors nationwide and LED screens at bank branches.
They said the Amber Alert system was first introduced in the United States in 1996 following the abduction and murder of child Amber Hagerman and later expanded to several countries, adapted to local legal and administrative frameworks.
Sadat Rahman, convener of Team Amber Alert for Bangladesh, said he first learned about the US Amber Alert system in 2022 while attending a United Nations conference in the United States.
After returning home, the team began working to introduce a similar system and submitted a petition with one lakh signatures to the Ministry of Social Welfare. He said the US Amber Alert authority has been supporting the initiative.
Children who were previously abducted or reported missing from different parts of the country were also present at the launch event.
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
