13-year-old boy missing after attending Khaleda Zia’s funeral

A 13-year-old boy, Mohammad Junaid, has gone missing after leaving his home in the capital's Shaheenbagh on 31 December to attend the funeral of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

Junaid’s father, Kamrul Islam, 38, said, “After waiting almost seven years, my son was born. He is my only child and very dear to me.”

He added that Junaid left home saying he was going to the funeral and never returned.

According to the family, Junaid first helped his two younger sisters with bathing and meals, then told his younger sister Jonaki that he was going to Begum Khaleda Zia’s funeral. He then left for Manik Mia Avenue and did not come back.

Kamrul Islam said he had enrolled Junaid in a madrasa, but his son was not interested in studies. He had planned to admit him to a Bengali-medium school this January.

The family filed a general diary (GD) with Tejgaon Police Station on Saturday. The GD notes Junaid is about four feet tall and was wearing a brown coat and pants.

SI Abdul Kader of Tejgaon Police Station said the boy was alone and had no tracking device, making it difficult to locate him.

“His photo has been shared with all police stations, and CCTV footage near his home will be checked on Wednesday,” he added.