HRW Demands Independent Probe into First Alleged Enforced Disappearance in Two Years

Dhaka: The first allegation of an enforced disappearance in two years has surfaced in Bangladesh. Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed serious concern over the disappearance of 30-year-old fisherman Miraj Sheikh from Coast Guard custody, demanding an independent and swift investigation into the incident.

The organization said the authorities must comply with a July 12 High Court order and immediately produce the fisherman before the court.

In a statement issued from London on Monday, HRW strongly criticized the current government for allowing legal reforms—introduced by the previous interim administration to prevent enforced disappearances and ensure accountability among security forces—to expire.

The Disappearance of Miraj

According to the HRW report, multiple eyewitnesses said Coast Guard officials detained Miraj Sheikh from Joymonir Ghol near the Sundarbans in Mongla, Khulna, on the night of April 10, and took him away in a speedboat. When Miraj’s family visited the Coast Guard office in Digraj the following day, they were initially told that Miraj was out on an ‘operation’ and were instructed to return in the afternoon. But upon their return, the Coast Guard claimed that no one named Miraj had ever been there.

The family’s lawyer, Muzahedul Islam Shahin, told HRW that the witnesses clearly described when, how, and under what circumstances Coast Guard personnel picked up Miraj. On April 21, the owner of a tea stall where Miraj’s motorcycle had been parked reported that a man identifying himself as a Coast Guard member came and took the bike, eventually returning it the following day.

Legal Actions and Coast Guard’s Denial

According to the statement, Miraj's family filed a police complaint and held a press conference following his disappearance. After approaching several government offices without success, Miraj’s father filed a ‘Habeas Corpus’ writ petition with the High Court seeking the whereabouts of his missing son. On July 12, the court directed law enforcement agencies to find the fisherman and produce him in court within 15 days.

Lt. Cmdr. Mahbub Hossain, the media officer for the Coast Guard's Western Zone, has repeatedly denied detaining Miraj, telling the media they have no information about him.

Reversed Legal Reforms and HRW's Concern

The HRW statement noted that after the fall of the Awami League government in the July–August 2024 uprising, a strong drive was launched to end the culture of enforced disappearances in the country. The interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

To pave the way for independent investigations, the interim government enacted the "National Human Rights Commission Ordinance-2025" and the "Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Ordinance-2025" in November 2025. Under these laws, the Human Rights Commission was granted the power to inspect any secret detention facility without a court order or prior notice and was empowered to refer cases directly to the International Crimes Tribunal.

The new BNP-led government, which assumed power following the February elections, allowed the ordinances to expire by not legislating them into law. HRW stated that the new government proposed a law stripping the Human Rights Commission of its authority to investigate allegations of human rights violations. Under this proposed legislation, the police would be responsible for investigating allegations of enforced disappearance, while the Commission’s power is limited to only "requesting a report" from the force chief or the government.

"Thousands of people were subjected to enforced disappearances during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule," said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW’s Deputy Asia Director. "This latest case shows that without genuine institutional reforms, they can happen again. It is clear that these criminal practices have become entrenched in Bangladesh's security agencies."

She added that since the new government pledged reforms, it must ensure institutional reform and the accountability of state agencies.

Fears of Repeating Past Abuses

Citing data from the Enquiry Commission on Enforced Disappearances formed during the previous interim administration, HRW expressed concerns that Miraj Sheikh’s case is a repetition of past abuses. The commission identified 1,569 cases of enforced disappearance between 2009 and 2024. In its reports, it disclosed that units of the police—including the Detective Branch (DB) and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit (CTTC)—along with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) were directly involved. Severe torture was carried out in those secret detention facilities.

The rights organization recounted the chilling experience of lawyer Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, the son of a Jamaat leader, who was secretly detained in ‘Aynaghor’ for eight years after being picked up by RAB in 2016. It also recalled the disappearance of 22 BNP leaders before the 2014 national elections.

Ganguly urged the removal of state interference from the Commission and the restoration of its full rights to conduct independent investigations. "Leaving enforced disappearance investigations in the hands of the police, instead of the Commission, will neither ensure justice nor bring this culture of enforced disappearances to an end," she said.