Morsheda, 14, Hasina, 20, and an unidentified deaf and dump girl aged about 15 had taken meals on Wednesday night along with 30 others at the 'safe home'. They were not found next morning.

People were sent to Morsheda's village home at Kolaroa in Barisal and to Hasina's home at a village in Bhola but they were not found there, Abdul Halim, in-charge of the 'safe home' and police said yesterday.

Four woman Ansars who were on duty at the 'safe home' on Wednesday night could not say how the girls escaped though its four gates were locked.

The three vagabond girls were caught by people about two months back and handed over to police, who produced them to court. The court sent them to the 'safe home'.

Some sources apprehend that women traffickers might have lured the girls out of the 'safe home' in collusion with the women Ansars.

Shawkat Mahmud Kamal, deputy director of social service department, said the Ansar commander concerned has been asked to explain how the girls escaped.

A general diary was filed with the Kotwali police on Friday.