How MUN Alert helps in the search for missing children

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When a child goes missing, the first few hours can be crucial. Bangladesh’s MUN Alert service is designed to quickly circulate information about missing children to people who may help locate them.

Launched by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police and Amber Alert for Bangladesh, the service allows missing-child cases to be reported through a toll-free hotline and an online platform.

Steps to report a missing child

• Dial 13219: Families can report a missing child by calling MUN Alert’s toll-free hotline.

• Submit a report online: A missing-child alert can also be filed through the MUN Alert website.

• Respond without delay: The first three hours following a child’s disappearance are described as the “Golden Time” for taking action.

• Notify law enforcement: Families are advised to report the disappearance to police immediately.

• Keep police involved: MUN Alert is meant to assist the police search rather than serve as a substitute for police action.

How the alert reaches the public

After an alert is issued, information about the missing child can be circulated among people in the relevant area through platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. The child’s photo and details may also be shown on digital displays at metro rail stations, ATMs and banks. Police can additionally use mosque loudspeakers to make announcements about the missing child.

Through its partnership with Meta, MUN Alert can send location-based notifications via Facebook, Messenger and Instagram to people in areas where a child is being searched for. In one reported incident, a Facebook notification helped a pharmacy employee recognise and rescue a nine-year-old missing boy in Dhaka.

How people should respond to an alert

Those who receive a MUN Alert notification should carefully review the child’s photograph and other information provided. If someone believes they have spotted the child, they should contact police or the authority specified in the alert instead of attempting to deal with the situation themselves. The service seeks to expand the number of people helping authorities by rapidly spreading missing-child information to the public.

MUN Alert is intended to make the search for missing children faster. Its success depends on timely reporting, effective responses from police and other agencies, and the reach of alerts among the public.