NHRC demands full disclosure about ‘Aynaghar’

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has demanded full disclosure of information about secret detention cells called “Aynaghar,” including their current status, the identities of its administrators, and those responsible for establishing them.
In a press release, the NHRC today said that The Daily Star’s August 21 report titled “Inside the Aynaghar,” along with similar reports from various media outlets, has drawn its attention.
The NHRC expressed serious concerns and has taken suo motu (self-initiated) action, calling for comprehensive information about the Aynaghar.
These secret detention cells, infamously known as “Aynaghar,” (house of mirrors), where victims of enforced disappearance were held for days, months and even years in inhuman conditions during Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year regime. These facilities are notorious for their complete isolation, with detainees unable to see any light from the outside world.
The NHRC requested the senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide comprehensive details regarding the current status of the Aynaghar, its administrators, the identities and numbers of those detained, the legal grounds for their detention, and those responsible for establishing the cells, according to the press release.
The deadline for submitting the report has been set for September 25.
“In a democratic state, the physical and mental torture inflicted over years in the prohibited ‘Aynaghar’ is seen by the Commission as a severe violation of both constitutional and legal norms, as well as human rights. The damage caused to detainees due to indefinite detention is irreparable, and they are entitled to compensation,” the NHRC said.
Given this context, it is necessary to investigate the location of the Aynaghar, identify those who managed it, determine how many people were detained there in total, their identities, the legal basis for their detention, and who was behind the establishment of these secret cells, it added.
The suo motu notice states that the Commission can only request reports from the government concerning allegations of disappearances or abductions by law enforcement agencies, whether initiated suo motu or based on complaints.
Due to the limitations of Section 18 of the National Human Rights Commission Act, 2009, the Commission cannot conduct its own investigations and must rely on government reports, which can sometimes take years to receive, it said.
The Commission believes that this legal limitation leaves it in a helpless position and requires urgent reform.