The Commission of Inquiry into Forced Disappearances received 400 complaints within 13 days

The Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances has received 400 complaints about victims of enforced disappearances during the previous Awami League government within the first 13 working days.

According to complaints from victims’ families, the commission discovered a secret detention facility at the headquarters of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). The facility, known as ‘Aynaghar’ (House of Mirrors), is a Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) at the DGFI headquarters, comprising 22 cells in a two-storey building.

Retired Supreme Court Judge Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, chairman of the commission, disclosed this information during a press conference at the commission’s office in the capital’s Gulshan today.

Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury said: “We are investigating the cases of those who have been victims of enforced disappearances by state forces or law enforcement agencies. We will also summon the accused persons. If they fail to appear, we will take action in accordance with the law.”

He further said: “Most of the allegations of enforced disappearances were against Rab, DGFI, the Detective Branch (DB) and the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Department (CTTC).”

“On September 25, we visited the Aynaghar at DGFI and on October 1, we visited DB and CTTC. However, we found no prisoners. It appears that all were released after August 5.”

The deadline for filing complaints was initially set for September 30, but Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury announced that the deadline had been extended to October 10.

He said 75 people submitted their statements in person and many others submitted their complaints by mail or email. He added that the deadline for receiving complaints could be further extended if necessary. Whether the investigation will be completed within three months will be assessed later, he said.

Commissioner Nur Khan said: “We will not separate or identify victims based on their identities. We want to hear every complaint. We want to understand what happened and how people were detained in violation of the law.”

Commissioner Nabila Idris mentioned that many of the 400 complaints concerned cases that were coming to light for the first time. She pointed out that many victims had never spoken about their disappearances before and general diaries were not kept in police stations.

Another commission member, Sazzad Hossain, said: “The Aynaghar we saw during our visit matched the descriptions of the victims. However, some changes have been made. Many important pieces of evidence were destroyed, particularly the writings on the walls, which were destroyed. “We have informed them verbally and have also sent a written communication requesting that no further changes be made until the investigation is completed.”

The government on August 27 set up a commission to investigate cases of enforced disappearances by law enforcement agencies during the Awami League regime.

According to the government announcement, the commission has been tasked to investigate enforced disappearances of members of all law enforcement agencies or law enforcement agencies in the country, including the police, the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Branch, Detective Branch, Ansar Battalion, National Security Intelligence (NSI), Armed Forces, DGFI and the Coast Guard.