Published: 11:33 PM, 22 September 2026
Aprotim Was Only Thirteen: When Will Bangladesh Make Its Children Safe?
Dr. Mohammed A. Rab
Aprotim was thirteen years old. At that age, a child's world should comprise education, friendships, family, recreational activities, assessments, and aspirations for a future that appears boundless. However, this weekend, Bangladesh was confronted with the distressing news that Ishayat Shahriar Aprotim, a seventh-grade student and the sole child of a faculty member at Cumilla University, was discovered deceased in a wooded area in proximity to the university.
He departed from his residence on the afternoon of Friday, September 18, reportedly carrying his mother's iPhone with the intention of meeting friends and engaging in photography. When he failed to return, his family conducted an urgent search and subsequently filed a missing-person report. Approximately 22 hours later, law enforcement authorities recovered his body from the Lalmai hill area near Cumilla University. Both police and local sources indicated that he sustained severe head injuries. Several suspects have been detained in connection with the incident. (Prothom Alo)
Some reports have proposed that the theft of the phone may constitute a possible motive. However, the police have appropriately stated that the investigation must establish whether the phone alone was the motive for the killing or if other contributing factors were involved. Until the investigation is concluded, conjecture should not be regarded as fact. (The Business Standard)
Whatever investigators ultimately establish, one fact is already beyond dispute: a thirteen-year-old child left his home in an ordinary Bangladeshi neighborhood and never returned alive.
That should disturb us far beyond Cumilla.
The most poignant inquiry was posed by Aprotim's mother, Dr. Nahida Begum. As she mourned the loss of her only child, she persistently inquired about any wrongdoings her son might have committed and sought an answer that could provide her with understanding.
There is no adequate answer.
It is possible that this is the reason why MP Monirul Haque Chowdhury of Cumilla-6 experienced an emotional breakdown during a family meeting. He issued a public apology, expressing his shame as the area's Member of Parliament for the failure to safeguard an innocent child. He emphasized the need to swiftly identify and deliver the perpetrators to justice. (The Business Standard)
The reaction has transcended political and ideological boundaries. Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami amir Shafiqur Rahman, regarding Aprotim's death, stated that citizens seek security for their children. DUCSU Vice-President Sadiq Kayem took further action by demanding the resignation of the home minister due to the deterioration of public safety. The Socialist Student Front called for accountability and appropriate punishment for those responsible. Islamic scholar and chairman of the As-Sunnah Foundation, Ahmadullah, associated Aprotim's death with recent incidents of violence against children, advocating for exemplary justice and comprehensive measures against drugs, juvenile gangs, and the social conditions that foster violent crime. (Bhorer Kagoj)
The political reactions vary in tone and prescription. However, beneath these reactions lies an extraordinary level of consensus: it is profoundly concerning when parents cannot rely on the expectation that a child departing from home in the afternoon will return safely.
This is why Aprotim's murder should not be regarded merely as another sensational crime story that garners social media attention for several days before fading away with the advent of the next tragedy.
Bangladesh has experienced too many such moments.
Previous cases involving children have elicited nationwide outrage, protests, assurances of swift justice, and calls for stringent penalties. Nevertheless, violence against children continues unabated. In 2025, Ain o Salish Kendra recorded 1,024 incidents of violence targeting children. During the first two months of 2026, ASK documented 71 incidents, including reports of 38 girls and two boys being raped. As of May 20, the organization had documented 118 cases of child rape and reported that at least 17 children had been killed following rape or attempted rape.
These figures encompass various forms of violence and should not be directly equated with Aprotim's death. However, collectively, they indicate a broader issue: the children of Bangladesh continue to be alarmingly susceptible to harm.
UNICEF raised the same concern in 2025 following another series of horrific crimes against children. It warned that reported cases of sexual violence and murder revealed severe weaknesses in children's safety and protection. (UNICEF)
However, the deeper problem extends beyond child protection.
Bangladesh has become increasingly accustomed to a state of lawlessness that raises significant concerns.
This situation did not originate with the current government, nor did it commence after August 2024. For many decades, successive political administrations have encountered various forms of political violence, criminal patronage, partisan policing, extrajudicial actions, campus violence, extortion, gang-related activities, and delayed justice. More often than not, the identity of the perpetrator or victim influences societal perceptions of a crime.
The deterioration following the political upheaval of 2024 introduced an additional dimension. Police stations were attacked, officers withdrew from duty in numerous locations, and a significant security vacuum was created. Subsequently, mob violence became especially concerning. According to ASK figures referenced in year-end reports, 128 individuals were killed in mob attacks in 2024 and 197 in 2025. Human Rights Watch characterized the increase in mob violence as one of the primary challenges facing Bangladesh during the interim period. (European Union Agency for Asylum)
The country now has an elected government, which changes the accountability equation.
The government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman did not solely generate these issues. It inherited weakened institutions, a politically polarized environment, and a challenging law-and-order situation. However, an elected government cannot perpetually rationalize ongoing insecurity based on inherited circumstances. Democratic legitimacy entails responsibility.
That responsibility goes beyond arresting Aprotim's alleged killers.
Law enforcement authorities seem to have responded swiftly in this case, utilizing CCTV footage, interrogating suspects, and deploying multiple law-enforcement units. Such measures are both necessary and commendable. However, Bangladesh cannot sustain a system where extraordinary police mobilization is only initiated following a heinous crime that garners national attention. (News Bangla 24)
The real measure of public security is prevention.
Parents should not require political connections or viral Facebook posts to prompt authorities to conduct urgent searches for a missing child. Each report of a missing child should activate a well-defined response protocol. Police stations must employ trained personnel specializing in child protection. Schools, communities, and local governments require effective mechanisms for reporting threats, gang activity, drug trafficking, and predatory behavior. While CCTV and digital evidence can assist investigations, technology alone cannot replace community policing and operational institutions.
Justice matters equally.
Calls for "exemplary punishment" are understandable in the aftermath of a disturbing crime. However, exemplary justice should not be equated with swift justice. Bangladesh requires investigations that can withstand scrutiny, prosecutors capable of constructing evidence-based cases, and courts able to deliver decisions free from political interference. A wrongful conviction followed by an unresolved crime does not reinforce the rule of law.
Lawlessness cannot be subdued through acts of mob justice. A society appalled by the murder of a child cannot concurrently condone individuals being assaulted to death solely on the suspicion of theft or other offenses by a crowd. The fundamental principle must be universal: an accusation does not equate to a conviction, political affiliation does not determine guilt, and punishment is the prerogative of the judiciary.
Aprotim's death consequently prompts a broader inquiry beyond the question of who was responsible for his demise.
What kind of society are Bangladeshi children growing up in?
Children are raised amidst the pervasive influence of smartphones and social media, while also being exposed to escalating instances of violence. They observe political confrontations portrayed as displays of strength, public humiliations depicted as entertainment, and mob punishments sometimes celebrated prior to the verification of facts. Concerns regarding drugs and juvenile gangs have emerged in numerous communities. When violence is normalized within public life, children internalize and replicate this normalization.
This is why government action alone will not suffice.
Parents, teachers, religious leaders, social workers, journalists, and political organizations collectively influence the moral environment in which children develop. Religious institutions have the capacity to convey that human life possesses inherent dignity. Educational institutions can impart conflict resolution skills and foster respect for others. Political parties are encouraged to cease sheltering local criminals. Media outlets are advised to report crimes responsibly without prematurely characterizing suspects as convicted criminals prior to trial. Communities should intervene proactively to prevent at-risk adolescents from evolving into violent adults.
Most importantly, Bangladesh must abandon its habit of becoming outraged over one tragedy at a time.
Today, it is Aprotim. Prior to his case, there were other children whose names briefly appeared in newspapers and social media. After each incident, the nation questions how such cruelty could have occurred. Subsequently, public focus shifts elsewhere, while the systemic structures that permitted the violence remain predominantly unaltered.
That cycle is a form of institutional failure.
Aprotim's age should remain with us: thirteen.
Bangladesh does not need another promise that this crime will be punished.
It needs a system that makes the next Aprotim less likely to occur.
Aprotim's mother asked what wrong her child had committed.
He committed none.
The question that Bangladesh must address is what actions it will take differently to prevent another mother from having to pose the same inquiry.
Dr. Mohammed A. Rab is a
US-based economist, policy analyst
and freelance consultant on
financial risk management.
