Dhaka attack: Bangladesh school, colleges told to report absent students

Dhaka: The Bangladesh government on Sunday ordered all educational institutions in the country to give lists of students who have been absent for over 10 straight days following reports that some of the militants who carried out recent terror attacks joined militant groups after running away from home.

The decision to demand the lists of students was taken at a meeting of education ministry officials, chaired by Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, at the Secretariat.

The ministry later issued an order in this regard, which said the institutions will have to make the lists of the absentee students and submit them to the Upazila education officers, the bdnews reported.

The five militants who killed 22 people, including an Indian, after attacking an upscale Gulshan cafe on July 1 night and whose photos the Islamic State reportedly released, had been missing or not contacting their families for several months, their relatives have said.

The suspected attacker of Sholakia Eid gathering last Thursday, who was killed in a firefight, had also been missing since March, police said.

Four of these six youths were students of top English medium schools in Dhaka. Two of them were students of private North South University and another of BRAC University.

Security forces have also alerted parents to report their missing children.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also asked people to inform police if any of the children in their families are missing.

After the cafe terror attack, parents of 10 more youths, who have been missing for several months, have sought police help to find them.