Bangladesh launches 'MUN Alert, toll-free helpline 13219 to report missing children
Alerts will be disseminated via official web portals, mobile apps, news media, social media, digital billboards, and SMS broadcasts, enabling the public to assist in recovery efforts immediately.
Bangladesh has launched a national-level emergency alert system to report missing children, named Missing Urgent Notification (MUN Alert), alongside a 24/7 toll-free helpline, 13219, aimed at ensuring their rapid recovery.
The initiative, led by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Missing Children Cell with support from the Zero Missing Children Platform, is Bangladesh's first coordinated, tech-driven child recovery system, modeled on the US AMBER Alert programme, according to a press release.
MUN Alert will issue verified emergency notifications whenever a child goes missing or is suspected of having been abducted.
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Alerts will be disseminated via official web portals, mobile apps, news media, social media, digital billboards, and SMS broadcasts, enabling the public to assist in recovery efforts immediately.
The system ensures that child safety, dignity, and privacy remain paramount.
Authorities stress that the first few hours after a child goes missing are critical for successful recovery. Information about missing children can be reported to 999, the Missing Children Cell (01320017060), or the helpline 13219.
With support from NCMEC and Meta, officials say MUN Alert will establish a state-led, technology-backed framework for child protection.
