Dhaka, Sep 21: Amid escalating violence against children in Bangladesh, as many as 155 children were killed between January and August this year in incidents involving murder following disappearance, rape, physical abuse and other forms of violence across the country, local media reported, citing a human rights organisation.

Dhaka-based rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) said the bodies of 36 children reported missing were recovered during the first eight months of this year, while 68 children died due to physical abuse and 49 in incidents of family-related violence. Another 26 children, including two boys, were killed after being raped.

The rights body said that four children lost their lives following attempted rape, while three were shot dead. Two domestic workers died as a result of physical abuse, two children were killed by stalkers, and another was killed following abduction. During the same period, ASK recorded 99 cases of suicide, mysterious deaths, and recovery of children’s bodies, Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune reported.

Reports suggest that the recovery of dead bodies of missing children forms part of a wider pattern of violence against minors in Bangladesh, with recent cases involving rape and murder, fatal physical abuse and the killing of children alongside their family members.

In multiple instances, the accused were reportedly known to the victims.

Several cases involving the killing of children across Bangladesh have emerged in recent weeks.

A 10-year-old child who went missing in Pabna Sadar on September 9 was found dead in a ditch seven days later. Police said the child had been raped and killed, with two people arrested over the incident.

In another case, the body of a seven-year-old child who disappeared after going to school in Madarganj, Jamalpur, on September 10 was found buried beneath the floor of a classmate’s house the next day.

According to the Police, the classmate’s father had raped and killed the child, with two people arrested in connection with the case.

Citing reports, Dhaka Tribune reported that seven children were also killed alongside other family members in four separate incidents.

The killings of children have unfolded alongside a continuing crisis of children going missing across Bangladesh. Various media reported that over 15,000 children disappeared nationwide between January and July this year, highlighting the scale of the problem.

Earlier this month, Bangladeshi police headquarters in a press release said that 15,717 children had gone missing during the first seven months of the year. Although 13,679 were traced, 2,038 remained missing, accounting for nearly 13 per cent of the total.

New Delhi, Sep 21: Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, has said that she looks forward to meeting External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar this week and discuss the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

“The Canada-India bilateral relationship is growing and the conclusion of the CEPA before the end of the year is key to our overall strategy. I look forward to speaking with @DrSJaishankar this week during @UN high level week,” Anand posted on X.

Last week, EAM Jaishankar spoke with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, holding discussions on bilateral cooperation as well as the situation in Ukraine. “Good to speak with FM Anita Anand of Canada this evening, on our bilateral cooperation as well as on the Ukraine situation,” EAM Jaishankar stated on X.

Meanwhile, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had a productive meeting here last week with Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, Canada, here on advancing the CEPA.

“I just finished round four of trade negotiations with my team in India. These negotiations require sustained, face-to-face cooperation, and I look forward to meeting with Minister Goyal again in the coming weeks as we continue to build momentum toward a CEPA agreement,” Sidhu posted on X.

Canada and India had $30.8 billion in two-way trade in 2024. Our goal is to more than double that to $70 billion by 2030.

“From agriculture and agri-food to energy, critical minerals, AI and tech, aerospace, and defence, a CEPA can open more doors for Canadian businesses in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets,” said Sidhu.

Both sides reaffirmed “our leadership’s commitment to expedite negotiations and conclude CEPA at the earliest, unlocking new opportunities across trade in goods, services, and investment, among others,” Goyal posted on X.

The minister further stated he is confident that an early conclusion of India-Canada CEPA will help realise our shared vision of significantly increasing bilateral trade and deepening the India-Canada economic partnership for mutual benefit.

New Delhi, Sep 20: Pakistan defence commitments to Saudi Arabia could increasingly draw the country into the widening Middle East conflict, placing pressure on army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir as tensions between Riyadh and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen intensify, according to a report.

The defence pact initially appeared to be a strategic gain for Pakistan, with Munir present in Riyadh last September for the signing of the agreement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, The Guardian reported.

Under the arrangement, Saudi Arabia would provide Pakistan with billions of dollars in investments and loans, while Pakistan would train Saudi forces and defend the kingdom in the event of an attack.

The report said analysts believed Pakistan had assumed that relations between the US and Iran would improve and that the possibility of a conflict spreading across the Middle East and Gulf remained limited. However, the situation changed after the US and Israel began bombing Iran, followed by Iranian missile attacks on Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia.

The conflict subsequently reignited Saudi Arabia’s confrontation with the Houthis, the Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen. According to The Guardian report, the fragile Saudi-Houthi truce collapsed after the Houthis made territorial gains in Yemen and launched strikes and drones against Saudi territory. Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes on Yemen, prompting concerns that a full-scale conflict could return.

The pressure on Pakistan increased further in August when the Saudi defence pact was expanded to include Turkey and renamed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The three countries agreed that an armed attack on any one of them would be treated as an attack on all three.

The report quoted defence analyst Ayesha Siddiqa as saying: “I don’t think Asim Munir properly calculated the threats the region was facing – and that Pakistan might need to put its troops on the line quite so soon.”

Saudi Arabia has substantial military hardware, including fighter jets and other war machinery, but, the report noted, it lacks direct warfare experience against the Houthis. Pakistan’s military could therefore be valuable to Riyadh, particularly because its forces have extensive experience dealing with security threats.

Analysts cited by The Guardian said that if Saudi Arabia activated the Mecca pact against the Houthis, Pakistan could face pressure to deploy troops, including thousands of personnel already stationed in Saudi Arabia for training.

The report also highlighted Pakistan’s economic dependence on Saudi Arabia, which has recently provided Islamabad with $8bn (£6bn) in funds and investments.

At the same time, officials in Pakistan are reportedly concerned about being pulled into the wider conflict. Pakistan shares a border with Iran and has its own security challenges, including militancy and instability along its borders.

The report said any direct Pakistani involvement against the Houthis could also be perceived as Islamabad taking a clear position against Iran, potentially creating further regional and domestic complications.

Raja Nasir Abbas, an opposition leader in Pakistan’s Senate, warned: “It will be a disaster for the country if Pakistan jumps into war.” He added that Pakistan was already facing “two lethal insurgencies”, while its economy was struggling and inflation had risen.

The wider Middle East conflict has continued to spread across the region, with the war involving Iran. Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have emerged as another major front, with attacks also threatening energy infrastructure and regional shipping.

The latest escalation has also brought Mecca into the crisis. Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered the holy city’s prohibited airspace.