The victims of the enforced disappearances will be reassured if the chief advisor visits the “Ayna Ghor”, the commission says
Published : 19 Jan 2025, 10:25 PM
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has said that he will visit the office of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, or DGFI, soon to inspect the much-debated “Ayna-Ghor”, or “house of mirrors” detention cells.
He expressed the intention at a meeting with the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Chief Advisor’s Office.
The chief advisor held a meeting with the panel at the State Guest House Jamuna at 5:30pm, the statement read.
The members of the commission highlighted the progress of the investigation into the enforced disappearances to the interim government head. They also requested him to visit the “joint interrogation cells”, commonly referred to as “Ayna Ghor”.
The commission said the victims of the enforced disappearances will be reassured and get courage when the chief advisor visits the “Ayna Ghor”.
Brutal descriptions of several incidents of enforced disappearances were presented to the chief advisor at the meeting. A six-year-old child was also a victim of enforced disappearance, the members of the commission said.
Responding to the commission's call, Yunus said: "The incidents that have come up in the investigation are shocking. I'm going to visit the cells soon."
On Aug 27, the Cabinet Division formed a five-member committee, headed by retired High Court judge Moinul Islam Chowdhury, to investigate the cases of "enforced disappearances" carried out by the law-enforcing agencies during the past Awami League regime.
The commission can take into account the events of the period from Jan 6, 2009, to the day the government fell on Aug 5 last year.
The panel issued a public notice highlighting the complaint process on Sept 12. The deadline to file a complaint was originally set for Sept 30, but was later extended to Oct 10.
The commission submitted an interim report to the chief advisor on Dec 14. A few parts of the report were released the next day.
In the report titled "Unfolding the Truth", the panel recommended the initiation of the trial process in the cases of enforced disappearances and the disbanding of the Rapid Action Battalion, or RAB.
After the submission of the report that day, Moinul said they would submit another interim report in March. The final report would take at least another year.