Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam today said each and every location of “Aynaghar” that was previously used as secret detention and torture cells will be identified.
“All those involved in killings during the July-August mass uprising and enforced disappearances will be punished,” Shafiqul said at a press conference at Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
The press conference was held following Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s visit to the three secret detention centres in Dhaka.
Eight victims of enforced disappearance or their families, six advisers, and journalist from Qatar based Al Jazeera, Sweden-based journalism platform focusing on Bangladesh Netra News, and state-run Bangladesh Television, and members the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance, accompanied Yunus during the visit.
“A few days ago, a news report suggested that there were no visits to the Aynaghars. But as you can see, we have visited every significant Aynaghars in Dhaka. In fact, every Aynaghar in Bangladesh will be located,” he said.
“According to the investigation by the disappearance commission [The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance] and the security forces, we have learned that the number of such places is in the hundreds — maybe between 700 and 800. More are being discovered, indicating that these were not only concentrated in Dhaka but also existed in remote areas,” he said.
He also said a recent report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch clearly states that security force officers have confirmed that these enforced disappearances and killings were carried out as per the orders of the autocrat Sheikh Hasina.
Shafiqul added Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a fact-finding report on the unprecedented events that took place in Bangladesh in July and August last year.
“This fact-finding report is completely independent — there was no government influence or role in it whatsoever,” he said.
Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Azad Majumder at the press briefing said the government will take all the recommendations of the OHCHR with utmost importance. The government will take necessary steps after reviewing the report,” he said.
