It has been alleged by his family that Miraj Sheikh (30), a resident of Joymoni Thota village under Mongla police station in Bagerhat, has been missing for nearly four months. By profession, he is a Sundarbans-based fisherman, a seasonal honey collector, and a motorcycle-for-hire driver. The dependent members of Miraj’s family include his wife, garment worker Mukta Khatun, a seven-year-old child, his paralyzed father Mostafa Sheikh, and his elderly mother Taslima Begum. Miraj was reportedly the sole earner for the family.

Origin of the Incident and Eyewitness Accounts
The Bangladesh Coast Guard’s Harbaria Station is located adjacent to Joymoni village, situated along the banks of the local Shela River. There are several small shops along the riverbank serving local fishermen and residents, with Al Amin’s tea stall being one of them. According to received allegations and eyewitness accounts, on April 10 at approximately 7:00 PM, Miraj arrived at the shop for tea on his red motorcycle (Registration: BAGHERHAT-HA-11-9433).

He was reportedly conversing with an acquaintance named Mohammad Sohel Alam. According to eyewitnesses, a small boat from the Coast Guard station located mid-river moored at the bank around this time. The boat carried three individuals, including a local boatman named Mizan Sheikh, with the other two reportedly seen in plain clothes. Allegations suggest that the two plainclothes individuals, upon confirming Miraj’s identity, attempted to forcefully drag him toward the boat.

Individuals present at the scene claimed that Miraj was physically assaulted during the ensuing struggle. According to eyewitnesses, he was dragged toward a jetty located approximately 150 to 200 meters from the site of the alleged detention. There, he was reportedly placed onto another boat belonging to a boatman named Mannan and taken toward the mid-river station. Locals stated that the entire incident took an estimated 25 to 30 minutes to unfold.

Several individuals present nearby during the incident, including tea stall owner Al Amin, Sohel Alam, Enamul, and a homemaker named Mosammat Selina, reportedly witnessed the entire event. Miraj’s wife, Mukta Khatun, alleged that she rushed to the jetty immediately after being informed of the incident and saw her husband being forcibly taken onto a boat.

Concerns from Human Rights Organizations
Miraj Sheikh’s family states that he has been missing since April 10, a period spanning 112 days. In a statement, the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) referred to this incident as the “first alleged enforced disappearance” in Bangladesh following the 2024 mass uprising. Meenakshi Ganguly, Deputy Director of HRW’s Asia Division, emphasized in her statement that genuine, structural reform is necessary to end such practices within security agencies.

Family’s Legal Steps and Authorities’ Statements
According to the allegations made by Miraj’s wife, Mukta Khatun, she visited the Coast Guard’s Digraj Base in search of her husband following the incident. She was initially reportedly told that Miraj had been detained for questioning and would be released if nothing suspicious was found. Subsequently, the Coast Guard reportedly completely denied that Miraj had been detained. Miraj’s sister, Liza Islam, claims that despite meeting with senior officials at the Digraj Base, they were not provided with any specific information regarding their brother’s whereabouts.

Conversely, Lt. Commander Mahbub Hossain, Media Officer for the Bangladesh Coast Guard’s West Zone, informed the media that they possess no information regarding Miraj and have found no validity to the allegations of his detention. He noted that following the apprehension of a suspected member of an alleged pirate gang in the Sundarbans on April 21, five names emerged from the provided information, which included Miraj’s name. Although they were sought during an operation on April 22, Miraj was reportedly not found.

Police Station GD and Police Stance
In connection with the disappearance, Miraj’s wife filed a General Diary (GD) as the plaintiff at the Mongla Police Station on April 23. The family alleges that although they wished to explicitly state in the GD that he was taken away, the police recorded it using different terminology, citing legal obligations.

However, Assistant Superintendent of Police (Mongla Circle) Md. Refatul Islam and Mongla Police Station Officer-in-Charge Atiqur Rahman denied the allegations of altering the GD’s language. They explained that, under the law, words like “enforced disappearance” or “abduction” cannot be directly used in a GD. Nevertheless, they confirmed that police investigations and technological searches for the missing person remain ongoing.

Protest Programs, Clashes, and Legal Complications
Demanding Miraj’s whereabouts, locals and family members organized a human chain program in the Joymonir Ghol area on June 9. Allegations indicate that tensions arose between the Coast Guard and locals surrounding this program, which eventually escalated into a clash. A section of the locals reportedly attacked the Coast Guard’s Harbaria checkpoint and station, vandalizing a pontoon and a speedboat. It was also reported that blank shots were fired to bring the situation under control.

Following this incident, the Coast Guard filed a case naming 44 individuals—including female members of Miraj’s family—and listing 300 unidentified accused. The case alleged the theft of government property worth BDT 980,000. Twelve individuals, including Miraj’s mother, wife, and sister, were arrested in connection with this case. They were released on bail after serving 27 days in jail. The family alleges that they are being pressured precisely because they are demanding a fair investigation into the incident.

Allegations Against Miraj and the Family’s Rebuttal
Several local sources have claimed that there may be allegations of Miraj having connections with suspected pirate gangs in the Sundarbans. However, his wife, Mukta Khatun, entirely refuted this claim, stating that local fishermen are often forced to pay extortion money when entering the Sundarbans for their livelihood; otherwise, they face abduction. She firmly asserted that her husband was in no way involved in any criminal activities.

High Court Directives and Reactions from Human Rights Organizations
In light of this disappearance, Miraj’s father, Md. Mostafa Sheikh, filed a writ petition in the High Court on June 22. Following the initial hearing, a bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar issued an order on July 12, directing that Miraj Sheikh be produced before the court within the next 15 working days. Concurrently, a rule was issued asking why he had not been illegally detained.

Alongside this, the human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) conducted a preliminary fact-finding mission and demanded the immediate disclosure of Miraj’s whereabouts and an impartial judicial investigation. Human rights activist Nur Khan Liton expressed deep concern over the incident, emphasizing the need to ensure institutional accountability.

According to THE DISSENT.