On 10 April, Miraj Sheikh, a resident of Joymani Thota village in Mongla area of Bagerhat, was forcibly taken away by several individuals introducing themselves as plain-clothed Coast Guard members.

Eyewitness accounts, including family members of Miraj Sheikh, suggest Coast Guard involvement in this abduction (Prothom Alo, 16 May 2026; The Dissent, 30 July 2026).

Human Rights Watch has described this incident as the first enforced disappearance after the July mass uprising in 2024. The sequence of events concerning Miraj Sheikh needs our careful attention.

The day after Miraj Sheikh was taken, his family went to the Coast Guard office in Digrage, Mongla, where they were told, "He is on an operation, come in the afternoon."

In the afternoon, they denied his presence (Prothom Alo, 16 May 2026). Although a general diary (GD) was filed on 23 April, the family claimed the GD was only accepted after four visits to the police station. They were also forced to change their statements in the GD.