ICT judges to go inside DGFI & RAB’s ‘Aynaghor’ to inspect secret detention cells
Judges of the International Crimes Tribunal 1 will inspect detention centers known as Aynaghor at DGFI and RAB 1 headquarters. The inspection order follows an application by Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam regarding enforced disappearance cases.
Reading
In a Nutshell:
- Tribunal panel led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder ordered Aynaghor site visits.
- Inspection covers Joint Interrogation Cell at DGFI and Task Force for Interrogation cell at RAB 1.
- Panel members include Justice Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Md Mohitul Huq Enam Chowdhury.
- Prosecution and defense representatives will attend scheduled detention facility inspections.
- Tribunal is currently running trials on former and serving military officers over enforced disappearance allegations.
Why it Matters
For years, 'Aynaghor' existed as an allegation denied by the state and described only through the testimonies of survivors and investigators. Now, the judges hearing the case will walk through the very facilities where prosecutors allege victims were secretly detained, interrogated and tortured during the Hasina era. The tribunal's inspection moves the proceedings beyond witness accounts and documentary evidence, allowing the court to examine the alleged crime scenes firsthand.
What we think
As early as 2011, The Guardian published allegations of torture inside the Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI), yet no transparent investigation followed. 15 years later, the judges are finally walking into the very facilities once shielded by secrecy. Is this the beginning of long-overdue transparency?