Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) – Just after sunrise, law student Iftekhar Alam was woken by loud banging on the door of his apartment. Half a dozen armed police officers stormed in, accusing him of betraying the nation. “Where is your phone? Where is your laptop?”y demanded, guns drawn asy tore apart his home.
Alam, 23, was blindfolded, handcuffed, and taken to what he believes was Aynaghor, or “House of Mirrors” – a notorious detention center operated by Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) in Dhaka. His crime? Participating in anti-government protests that swept Bangladesh earlier this year.
“I thought my life would end, and no one would know,” Alam said, recalling harrowing hours of torture. Beaten with metal pipes until bones in his foot were broken, he was forced to walk in agonizing circles until he vomited from pain. His interrogators extinguished cigarettes on his hands and feet, threatening to “vanish” and kill him if he did not reveal the whereabouts of protest leaders.
Alam is one of many survivors now revealing the dark reality of Bangladesh’s secret prison system, which operated during the 15-year rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Human rights organizations, including Odhikar, have documented the use of enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings targeting political dissidents, journalists, and activists during her regime.
Systematic Torture and Disappearances
Hasina resigned in August after weeks of student-led protests, which erupted in response to her government’s crackdown on demonstrations. Hundreds were killed in the worst political violence Bangladesh has seen in decades.
During her time in power, rights groups claimed that security forces like the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Detective Branch of police operated shadowy detention centers where hundreds of people disappeared. Odhikar estimates that 709 people were forcibly disappeared, with 155 still missing. Some detainees were later released, while others were found dead or sentenced in court.
The RAB, a joint task force including police, military, and border guards, has been implicated in human rights abuses and was sanctioned by the United States in 2021. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also issued reports detailing the widespread use of torture and disappearances during Hasina’s rule.
Alam’s story is emblematic of the fear that gripped Bangladesh during Hasina’s tenure. “They called it a game,” Alam recalled of his torturers, who taunted him with electric shocks and threatened to escalate abuse. “There was no escape.”
A New Era: Seeking Justice and Accountability
In the wake of Hasina’s resignation, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, now leading Bangladesh’s interim government, has committed to addressing atrocities committed under her regime. Yunus has announced the creation of a commission to investigate disappearances and invited a United Nations fact-finding team to probe human rights violations during protests.
“The issue of enforced disappearances has a long and painful history in Bangladesh,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “The UN Human Rights Office looks forward to supporting the interim government and people of Bangladesh at this pivotal moment to revitalize democracy, seek accountability, and advance human rights for all.”
For survivors like Alam, trauma lingers, but the possibility of justice offers a glimmer of hope. Despite his injuries, he remains resolute in his belief that those responsible for Bangladesh’s darkest days will one day be held accountable.
