Missing 10-Month-Old Rayhan Found Dead Under Water Hyacinths in Canal in Kalapara a Day After Disappearance

Local correspondent. Patuakhali, 17 October 2026

The body of 10-month-old baby Raihan, who went missing in Ghutabacha village of Nilganj union under Kalapara police station in Patuakhali, has been recovered. His body was found under the sedges of a canal next to his house two days after he went missing.

The child went missing from his home at approximately 6:30 am on October 15, 2026. According to the family, the child was sleeping at that time and everyone in the house was in the yard doing household chores. After a while, the child was not found. Despite searching in various places including the yard, pond, and pond since morning, he could not be found.

The child’s disappearance was first reported by the Facebook page “MUN Alert” last Thursday. Along with the missing person news, the page requested information to be reported to the toll-free number 13219.

The local administration and law enforcement agencies are currently conducting investigations to uncover the true mystery and exact cause of the incident. Further legal proceedings are underway in this regard.

Number of missing children: A worrying figure

The number of missing children in the country has increased at an alarming rate in recent times. According to the police headquarters, the number of missing child reports was 16,414 in 2024, which increased to 22,550 in 2025, an increase of about 37 percent. In the seven months from January to July this year, 15,717 children went missing. Of these, 13,679 were rescued, but 2,038 are still missing, which is about 13 percent of the total. According to the Law and Arbitration Center (LAK), the bodies of 36 children were recovered after going missing between January and August 2026. However, the police say that the number of GDs has increased significantly since the facility of filing GDs online has been introduced. They also said that there is a possibility of confusion about the statistics as the information on the subsequent status of missing children is not updated.

About Moon Alert

“MUN Alert” is the full form of “Missing Urgent Notification”. Known as the National Missing Child Alert System of Bangladesh, this initiative has a missing child hotline 13219 and a website www.munalert.org. The verified page on Facebook is listed in the “Child Protection Service” category and is located in Dhaka.

According to the page’s bio, Moon Alert brings together communities, law enforcement, media, and the public to find missing children. It is an initiative of the Zero Missing Children Foundation, which aims to create a future where no children go missing.

The page was launched on November 16, 2024, under the name “Amber Alert For Bangladesh.” On January 11, 2026, its name was changed to “Moon Alert.” The page currently has 963,000 followers, or about 1 million.