International Tribunal Judges Inspect Secret RAB Detention Center Known as Aynaghor
Photo Collected
Judicial officials, prosecutors, and human rights activists conducted an on-site inspection of a clandestine detention facility located within the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-1 headquarters in Dhaka on Saturday. Known colloquially as the “Aynaghor” (House of Mirrors), the facility is at the center of allegations regarding systemic disappearances and torture during the previous Awami League administration.
The inspection team, led by International Crimes Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder, alongside tribunal members Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury, examined the compound situated behind the main RAB-1 building. The site, secured by high walls and barbed wire, contains 29 small cells. Investigations reveal that the lower level contains exceptionally narrow cells—measuring approximately two feet wide and four feet long—where detainees were reportedly unable to lie down.
Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam, who led the prosecution team during the visit, characterized the facility as a “brutal torture cell.” According to Islam, evidence suggests that victims were held for months or even years with their hands and eyes bound. He noted that the site held high-profile figures, including BNP leader Ilias Ali and barrister Arman, among the more than 250 individuals who remain missing.
“This facility proves that the ‘Aynaghor’ was not a myth but a grim reality,” Islam stated, emphasizing that the illegal detentions violated both constitutional mandates and the Code of Criminal Procedure. He alleged that efforts were made to conceal the cells by erecting walls, and stated that those responsible for tampering with evidence are currently under investigation.
The inspection also included human rights activist Nur Khan and Sanjida Islam Tuli, coordinator of the organization *Mayer Daak*. The prosecution team argued that the site visit was essential for the judicial process, allowing the tribunal to grasp the physical realities of the crimes beyond mere documents and witness testimony.
Legal representatives for the accused challenged the prosecution’s narrative during the visit. Tabarak Hossain, a lawyer representing seven RAB officials, argued that the term “TFI” (Task Force for Interrogation) does not refer to a specific building, but rather an inter-agency task force, and maintained that the RAB’s involvement was purely administrative. Defense lawyer Amir Hossain further questioned whether the inspected site was the actual “Aynaghor,” suggesting that the cells might have been constructed or altered at a later date.
The tribunal authorized the judicial inspection on July 21 to ensure transparency in the ongoing proceedings. Currently, the tribunal is hearing a case involving 17 individuals—including 12 current and former army officers—accused of crimes against humanity, including enforced disappearances and torture at the facility. The prosecution announced that a similar inspection of a separate detention site within the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) headquarters in the Dhaka Cantonment is scheduled for next Saturday.
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