Nearly two decades after Bangladesh’s turbulent 1/11 period, fresh details are emerging about what took place inside a secret military intelligence facility where the country’s current prime minister, Tarique Rahman, was reportedly held. The account has come to light through proceedings at the International Crimes Tribunal, which recently visited the site as part of an ongoing case.
The Site at the Centre of the Case
The facility, known as the Joint Interrogation Centre and referred to informally as Aynaghar, is located inside Dhaka Cantonment and was operated by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, or DGFI. International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam visited the site along with tribunal judges, prosecution and defence teams, and journalist Matiur Rahman Chowdhury as part of the trial process. Following the visit, Aminul told reporters that the facility had been used to hold and torture people with dissenting views, some for months and even years at a stretch, describing the environment created during that period as an inhumane state.
What the Prosecutor Said About Tarique Rahman
According to Aminul, Tarique Rahman was one of those brought to a room inside the JIC and tortured during the 1/11 period, a claim he said was based on witness accounts gathered by investigators. He noted that Brigadier Azmi and others were also held and tortured at the same facility. Two cases are currently pending before the tribunal over allegations of enforced disappearance and detention linked to DGFI and RAB facilities, and the prosecutor said further investigation would continue to identify others involved in running the torture cells.
Testimony From a Former Army Chief
The allegations have also surfaced through separate tribunal testimony. Former army chief General (retd) Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan told the tribunal that between 2007 and 2009, the DGFI became the main controlling authority in the country, picking up civilians, ministers, and political figures for interrogation in its cells. He testified that Tarique Rahman was among those detained and subjected to inhumane treatment during that period, adding that the practice of holding people at DGFI facilities became increasingly routine as time went on.
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A Case That Reaches Further
The tribunal has separately charged former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and eleven others in connection with detentions and torture carried out at the same DGFI facility, naming several former DGFI directors general among the accused. Reports from the period of Tarique Rahman’s 2007 detention had earlier described severe physical effects, including spinal injuries, that reportedly affected him for months after his release.
As the tribunal proceedings continue, the accounts emerging from witnesses and officials are adding new layers of detail to a chapter of Bangladesh’s political history that has long remained shrouded in secrecy.
Summary: Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam has told journalists that Tarique Rahman was tortured at a secret DGFI facility during the 1/11 period. The International Crimes Tribunal is examining testimony about the site, known as the Joint Interrogation Centre.
