At least 274 minor boys were subjected to sexual violence in 199 incidents across Bangladesh, with the majority of victims being madrasa students, said a leading international human rights organisation, highlighting the alarming scale of abuse against children in the country.

In its ten-month monitoring report, Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) stated that the incidents recorded between January 1 and October 31, 2026, took place in classrooms, residential institutions, homes and neighbourhoods, with children often subjected to abuse by people they knew or were expected to trust.

It noted that many children’s experiences never become public, and the actual scale may be substantially greater.

As per the findings, 183 incidents involved allegations of rape affecting 257 children, while 16 cases involved attempted rape against 17 children across 61 districts in all eight divisions of Bangladesh.

Five incidents reportedly resulted in the deaths of children following alleged sexual violence. The report further noted that 136 children experienced repeated abuse in 67 incidents, accounting for nearly half of all recorded victims.

According to the report, madrasa students accounted for 180 victims in 121 incidents, constituting 65.7 per cent of all recorded victims. Madrasas were identified as the locations of abuse in 100 incidents involving 158 victims.

The report further stated that madrasa teachers were named as accused in 93 incidents involving 131 victims. It recorded 115 accused entries involving madrasa teachers, accounting for 49.4 per cent of all accused persons.

Furthermore, madrasa teachers, students, and religious leaders were collectively identified as alleged perpetrators in 107 incidents involving 150 victims.

“Every one of these children deserved to be safe. A child who finds the courage to speak about abuse must be heard and protected — not threatened, silenced, or sent back into danger. It is deeply disturbing that some of the people accused were entrusted with children’s education and care,” said JMBF Founder President Shahanur Islam

“No institution’s reputation is worth more than a child’s safety. Anyone who abuses a child, conceals an offence or pressures a family to remain silent must face investigation and, where responsibility is established, lawful accountability. Arrests cannot be the end of the response. Children need treatment, someone they can trust, support to continue their education and a justice process that does not cause them further harm,” he added.

The JMBF urged the Bangladeshi authorities to take immediate measures to protect children, ensure thorough investigations and accountability for those responsible for the abuse or its concealment.

Iranian forces have determined a vast battlefield to inflict damage on the “enemy” and achieve complete deterrence, spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Mohebbi has said.

Speaking at a conference in Iran’s southeastern Kerman province on Sunday (local time), Mohebbi said Iranian forces are more prepared than ever “to respond decisively to the enemy,” reports Xinhua, quoting the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

He pointed to recent orders from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to senior military commanders, saying the leader’s guidelines “opened a new chapter of war.”

Mohebbi highlighted Khamenei’s emphasis that “there is no geographical limitation in the war with the United States,” saying the IRGC has placed on its agenda identifying new enemy targets and planning operations in new geographical regions.

On Saturday, a statement announced that Iran’s supreme leader had ordered senior commanders of the armed forces to ensure that any level and kind of threat from the “enemies” must be met with an “immediate and effective” response without geographical limitations.

The warnings come amid heightened US threats of military action against Iran.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), US President Donald Trump was briefed on Thursday by top US military officials on options regarding Iran.

The United States has also informed several Gulf countries to prepare for a possible brief but intense military campaign against Iran after the US midterm elections, according to the WSJ.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

The navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that two “violating” oil tankers, including a supertanker, suffered explosions and were stopped after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz within the preceding hours.

In a statement published on the IRGC’s official news outlet Sepah News on Sunday (local time), the navy said the tankers were transiting the “unauthorised” route in the strait.

It added the supertanker “suffered a massive explosion and is burning,” stressing that both vessels had turned off their navigation and identification systems, reports Xinhua news agency.

Iran tightened its grip on the strait on February 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.

Earlier, IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said that Iranian forces have determined a vast battlefield to inflict damage on the “enemy” and achieve complete deterrence.

Speaking at a conference in Iran’s southeastern Kerman province on Sunday (local time), Mohebbi said Iranian forces are more prepared than ever “to respond decisively to the enemy,” reports Xinhua, quoting the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

He pointed to recent orders from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to senior military commanders, saying the leader’s guidelines “opened a new chapter of war.”

Mohebbi highlighted Khamenei’s emphasis that “there is no geographical limitation in the war with the United States,” saying the IRGC has placed on its agenda identifying new enemy targets and planning operations in new geographical regions.

On Saturday, a statement announced that Iran’s supreme leader had ordered senior commanders of the armed forces to ensure that any level and kind of threat from the “enemies” must be met with an “immediate and effective” response without geographical limitations.

The warnings come amid heightened US threats of military action against Iran.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), US President Donald Trump was briefed on Thursday by top US military officials on options regarding Iran.

The United States has also informed several Gulf countries to prepare for a possible brief but intense military campaign against Iran after the US midterm elections, according to the WSJ.