Chief Prosecutor Says Tarique Rahman Was Tortured in DGFI Detention Cell During 1/11

International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam has claimed that current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was detained and tortured at a secret detention facility known as the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) inside Dhaka Cantonment during the 1/11 political crisis.

He made the remarks on Saturday while speaking to journalists after visiting the JIC at the headquarters of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) in Dhaka Cantonment.

The chief prosecutor alleged that the previous government, led by Sheikh Hasina, had established an inhumane system of secret detention facilities, commonly referred to as “Aynaghar,” to suppress political dissent. He said numerous individuals were allegedly held there for extended periods.

“During the 1/11 period, the current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was detained at the DGFI’s Aynaghar. We have obtained sufficient evidence,” Aminul Islam said.

He said steps had been taken to bring those allegedly involved in operating the secret detention facilities and carrying out torture to justice. If investigations uncover evidence of the involvement of additional individuals, they too will be brought before the law, he added.

The chief prosecutor also alleged that important evidence from the JIC facility had been destroyed after August 5. According to him, sections of the facility were concealed by constructing walls, while a significant amount of information and evidence was allegedly destroyed.

Defending the legality of the site inspection, Aminul Islam said examining the current condition of an alleged crime scene and assessing the evidence available there are important parts of the judicial process. Such inspections, he added, would help ensure justice.

On Saturday, judges of International Crimes Tribunal-1 visited the secret detention facility at the DGFI headquarters in Dhaka Cantonment. The inspection team was led by Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice Golam Mortuza and included the chief prosecutor and lawyers representing the accused.

Earlier, the tribunal judges also visited an alleged secret detention facility, or “Gum Ghar,” reportedly operated by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Uttara.

According to prosecution sources, two cases are currently pending before the International Crimes Tribunal over allegations of enforced disappearance and secret detention at facilities allegedly operated by RAB and DGFI. The tribunal judges are visiting the locations as part of the judicial proceedings in those cases.