Jamaat Ameer shares harsh experiences of 'Aynaghar'

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has revealed the difficult experiences endured by many religious scholars, including himself, during their time in detention at the "Ayanaghar" (secret detention center).

He was addressing a gathering at an Iftar meeting organised for orphans and religious scholars at a restaurant in Dhaka's Mirpur on Sunday.

Jamaat Ameer shared his personal experience of being detained at the Ayanaghar, stating, "I have personally seen the Ayanaghar. Many respected scholars, like myself, were held there in secret. Their families had no idea about their whereabouts, and the detainees themselves were unaware of where they were held."

He recounted the time of his last arrest, which occurred on December 12, 2022, at 3 am, when members of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit took him into custody. "On a cold winter night, I was taken away in just one piece of clothing by CTTC personnel. There, I saw numerous scholars who had been detained under similar circumstances. Their families did not know where they were, and even those in detention had no idea about their location," Shafiqur added.

He continued, "After a few days, I was taken to court but not presented before a judge. I was then moved from the court's detention cell to Keraniganj Jail, and later to Kashimpur Jail. I was accompanied by around 30 scholars, all handcuffed and shackled, as we were taken to prison."

The Jamaat leader further said, "After 15 years of harsh regime, people from all walks of life have risen in a united movement. After many sacrifices, a change took place on August 5, which signifies a shift toward a better society."

Dhaka North City Ameer, Md. Selim Uddin, also addressed the gathering, speaking to the orphans and scholars present at the event. Several others also shared their thoughts, representing orphans and scholars at the Iftar event.