Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has visited three secret detention sites known as “Ayna Ghor,” which became infamous during the Awami League government’s rule.
During his visit on Wednesday, he observed an electric chair used for torture and discovered inscriptions, including verses from the Quran, written on the walls by a victim, according to the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO).
Yunus toured locations in Agargaon, Kochukhet, and Uttara in Dhaka, accompanied by members of the advisory council, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, victims, and local and international media, the CAO stated.
On February 6, the CAO announced that Yunus would visit the controversial detention facilities, known as “Ayna Ghor” or “house of mirrors,” operated by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), following a meeting with the interim cabinet. While a specific date was not confirmed, the statement mentioned he would visit “as soon as possible” and would be accompanied by journalists.
Earlier, on January 29, Yunus had expressed his intention to visit the “Ayna-Ghor” detention cells. Members of the inquiry commission had briefed the interim government head about the progress in investigating enforced disappearances. They mentioned that victims would be encouraged and reassured by Yunus’s visit to “Ayna Ghor.”
The news of Yunus’s planned visit raised hopes among survivors and their families, who wanted to be part of the delegation. However, on February 5, Netra News reported that military authorities had opposed the presence of journalists and survivors, effectively delaying the visit. According to four officials, the Army Headquarters was concerned that allowing media and survivors into Ayna Ghor could “damage the army’s reputation.”
The investigative outlet also revealed that the Commission on Enforced Disappearances had issued a formal memo to the government in late January, stating that if survivors were excluded from the visit, they would cancel their scheduled Ayna Ghor visit on February 3. The memo emphasized that excluding survivors would violate their legal rights and render the visit ineffective.
The decision for Yunus’s visit was finalized despite ongoing debates about these concerns. During the tenure of the Awami League government, several opposition figures were reportedly abducted and detained in secret locations without trial. These shadowy sites became known as Ayna Ghor.
Some detainees who returned to their families shared horrific accounts of torture, while many others remain missing. The interim government’s Commission on Enforced Disappearances has identified several such facilities operated by different security forces.
“The ‘Ayna Ghor’ is within the DGFI compound. It is a two-storey building with 20 to 22 cells on the ground floor, and a few rooms on the second floor. It’s called ‘Ayna Ghor’ on social media but is essentially a joint interrogation cell,” said Moinul Islam Chowdhury, the commission chief, on October 3, 2024.
During the January 19 meeting, commission members presented chilling cases, including the enforced disappearance of a 6-year-old child. In response, Yunus acknowledged the gravity of the findings, stating, “The cases uncovered in your investigation are chilling. I will visit Ayna Ghor soon.”
