By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – According to a leading international human rights organization on Monday reported that at least 274 minor boys have been subjected to sexual violence in 199 incidents across Bangladesh, while the majority of them are madrasa students,.
Justice Makers Bangladesh in France in its ten-month monitoring report has put the spotlight on the alarming scale of abuse against children in the country.
Media reported that these incidents were recorded between January 1 and October 31, 2026, and took place in classrooms, residential institutions, homes and neighbourhoods.
Most of these children were subjected to abuse by people they knew or were expected to trust, the report said.
The JMBF report stated that several children’s experiences never became public, which means that the actual scale may be substantially greater.
As per the findings, 183 incidents involved allegations of rape affecting 257 children, while 16 cases involved attempted rape against 17 children across 61 districts in all eight divisions of Bangladesh, according to media reports.
It noted that 5 cases are said to have resulted in the deaths of children after alleged sexual violence.
The report noted that 136 children experienced repeated abuse in 67 incidents, accounted for half of all recorded victims.
In total, madrasa students accounted for 180 victims in 121 incidents, constituting 65.7 per cent of all recorded victims.
Madrasas were identified as the locations of abuse in 100 incidents involving 158 victims.
The report stated that madrasa teachers were named as accused in 93 incidents involving 131 victims.
It recorded 115 accused entries involving madrasa teachers, accounting for 49.4 per cent of all accused persons.
Madrasa teachers, students, and religious leaders were collectively identified as alleged perpetrators in 107 incidents involving 150 victims.
JMBF Founder President Shahanur Islam said “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.”
“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,” he added.
