Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus visited three spots of Aynaghor located in Dhaka's Agargaon, Kachukhet and Uttara today. Photo: PID
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has strongly condemned the Aynaghar (secret torture cells), describing them as a horrifying testament to the brutality of the former Awami League government.
During a visit to three Aynaghar locations in Dhaka, he stated that these secret detention centers reflected a reign of oppression that pervaded all sectors of governance.
"Aynaghar represents how the previous government established an era of brutality, reminiscent of Al-Jahiliyyah (the Age of Ignorance), in every sector," Yunus said.
At a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam revealed that Yunus was deeply disturbed by what he witnessed. He described the conditions as beyond imagination, highlighting the horrific experiences shared by survivors.
"The testimonies I heard were shocking. The scale of enforced disappearances and torture is hard to believe," Alam quoted the chief adviser as saying.
Yunus expressed outrage over the inhumane treatment of victims, many of whom were confined for months in tiny, cage-like cells and subjected to relentless torture despite being innocent. "Is this the society we wanted to build?" he asked, condemning the systematic abuse.
Acknowledging the collective failure to prevent such oppression, he stressed that Bangladesh must break free from the cycle of tyranny to ensure justice and stability.
The Chief Adviser praised the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances for its investigation and urged for its findings to be included in school textbooks to educate future generations about the dangers of unchecked power.
He reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that all those responsible for enforced disappearances will face justice.
Accompanied by government advisers, human rights activists, and local and international media, Yunus visited Aynaghar locations in Agargaon, Kachukhet, and Uttara. According to Shafiqul Alam, there could be as many as 700 to 800 similar secret detention centers across Bangladesh, and efforts are underway to unearth and dismantle them all.
Among those present during the visit were advisers Dr. Asif Nazrul, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adilur Rahman Khan, Asif Mahmud, Mahfuj Alam, and Nahid Islam, along with senior press officials.
As Bangladesh reckons with its past, the interim government has vowed to bring justice to the victims and prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.
