Chief Advisor Yunus to visit notorious 'Ayna Ghor' detention site soon

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus is set to visit the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence or DGFI’s controversial interrogation facility, widely known as “Ayna Ghor”, in the coming days.

The Chief Advisor’s Office announced the decision following a meeting of the interim cabinet on Thursday.

While no exact date has been specified, the statement confirms he will visit “as soon as possible” and will be accompanied by journalists.

Yunus had earlier expressed his intention during a meeting with the Commission on Enforced Disappearances on Jan 19 to visit Ayna Ghor.

The commission briefed him on the progress of its investigations and urged him to inspect the facility, known officially as the Joint Interrogation Cell.

The commission argued that his visit would offer reassurance to victims and their families.

News of the planned visit raised expectations among survivors and relatives, who hoped to be part of the delegation.

However, Netra News reported on Wednesday that military authorities have objected to the presence of journalists and survivors, effectively stalling the visit.

Citing four officials, Netra News reported that the Army Headquarters opposed allowing media and survivors inside Ayna Ghor, fearing it 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, warning that they would cancel their own scheduled Ayna Ghor visit on Feb 3 if survivors were barred from joining.

The memo, quoted in the report, stated: "Excluding survivors from the visit would violate their legal rights. A visit without them would be ineffective."

The decision for the chief advisor’s visit was finalised amid ongoing debates over these concerns during Thursday’s Council of Advisors meeting.

During the Awami League government’s tenure, numerous opposition figures were allegedly abducted and detained in secret locations without trial.

These shadowy detention sites became known as Aynaghar, or house of mirrors.

Some detainees returned to their families with harrowing accounts of torture, while many remain missing.

The interim government’s Commission on Enforced Disappearances has identified several such facilities run by different security forces.

"The 'Ayna Ghor' is within the compound of the DGFI. It's a two-storey building with 20 to 22 cells on the ground floor. There are a few rooms on the second floor. It is called 'Ayna Ghor' on social media but basically it's a joint interrogation cell, commission chief retired High Court judge Moinul Islam Chowdhury said on Oct 3, 2024.

In the Jan 19 meeting, commission members detailed brutal cases, including the enforced disappearance of a 6-year-old child.

In response, Yunus acknowledged the severity of the findings, saying: "The cases uncovered in your investigation are chilling. I will visit Ayna Ghor soon.”