Mongla, Aug. 13 (V7N) — Four months after Miraj Sheikh left his home in Joymonir Ghol area of Mongla on the evening of April 10 and never returned, questions remain unanswered about what happened to him.

The case has become increasingly complex, with conflicting accounts from Miraj’s family, the Coast Guard and the operator of a fishing boat allegedly linked to his disappearance. A statement by a former forest bandit leader has also raised new questions, although the claims have not been independently verified.

Miraj’s family alleges that Coast Guard personnel in plain clothes took him away from near his home. His sister later claimed that he was taken aboard a fishing boat operated by Mannan Majhi.

Mannan Majhi has denied the allegation. He said he was using his boat to transport people to and from vessels at the time and that Miraj was never taken aboard his boat. He also questioned why government personnel would need to use his boat when they had boats of their own.

The family filed a general diary with Mongla Police Station on April 23. They later held a press conference at the Mongla Press Club, where Miraj’s sister repeated the allegation that Coast Guard personnel had taken him away.

A local representative, Nazmul, said he did not personally witness Miraj being taken away. He said his knowledge of the incident came from the family. He also questioned why no photograph or video appeared to have been recorded if, as the family claims, Miraj was taken away publicly.

Nazmul also said there had been discussion in the area about Miraj’s lifestyle and his alleged association with former forest bandit Suman Hawladar. He claimed Miraj had acted as a source for Suman’s group, although this allegation has not been independently established.

Coast Guard denies involvement

The Coast Guard has rejected the family's allegation.

Commander Shahid Al Ahsan, ND, PSC, BN, Executive Officer of BCG Base Mongla, said Miraj had neither been detained nor arrested by the Coast Guard and that the force had no involvement in his disappearance.

Coast Guard officials said Miraj was facing three criminal cases, including one in which an arrest warrant had reportedly been issued. They nevertheless maintained that he had not been taken into Coast Guard custody.

Former bandit leader raises new questions

Miraj and Suman Hawladar are reportedly from the same area and were known to each other, according to local residents. Suman was previously active as a forest bandit in the Sundarbans before surrendering to the Coast Guard.

In a television interview, Suman claimed that Miraj had links with forest bandits and travelled into the Sundarbans by boat while posing as a fisherman. He further alleged that Miraj had helped transport weapons and supplies to the bandits.

The most significant part of Suman’s account concerns Tk 6.5 lakh.

Suman claimed that forest bandits had demanded Tk 6.5 lakh in ransom after holding a group of fishermen hostage, and that Miraj was supposed to deliver the money on April 10—the same day he disappeared.

The timing has raised questions about whether Miraj had travelled somewhere to deliver the money, who was supposed to receive it and whether the alleged ransom was connected to his disappearance. There is currently no independent evidence establishing such a connection.

Case reaches High Court

The search for Miraj has also reached the High Court.

After Miraj’s father, Mostafa Sheikh, filed a writ petition, the High Court on July 12 ordered the authorities to rescue Miraj and produce him before the court within 15 working days. The deadline passed without any confirmed information about his whereabouts.

Human rights organisations have also expressed concern over the case. Human Rights Watch has called for a prompt investigation and efforts to establish Miraj’s whereabouts. Ain o Salish Kendra has likewise called for his immediate recovery and an impartial investigation.

The statements from the rights organisations do not establish who may be responsible for Miraj’s disappearance; they have primarily called for an effective and independent investigation.

Bagerhat Superintendent of Police Hasan Mohammad Nasher Rikabdar said police were investigating the general diary filed over Miraj’s disappearance but had yet to locate him.

Key questions remain unanswered

Investigators now face several critical questions surrounding the evening of April 10: Where did Miraj go after leaving home? Whom did he contact? What was the last known location of his mobile phone? Where was Mannan Majhi’s boat at the relevant time? Who last saw Miraj? And was there any connection between him and the Tk 6.5 lakh mentioned by Suman?

At present, the accounts remain contradictory. Miraj’s family alleges that he was taken away by Coast Guard personnel, while the Coast Guard denies detaining him. The boat operator named by the family says Miraj was never aboard his vessel, and the local representative says he did not witness any abduction. Meanwhile, allegations by a former forest bandit leader have introduced an unverified account involving Miraj and an alleged ransom payment.

Four months after his disappearance, Miraj’s whereabouts remain unknown.

The central question remains: Where did Miraj Sheikh go after leaving his home on the evening of April 10? Finding the answer will require a thorough, impartial investigation based on verifiable evidence.

END/AHS/SMA/