Jamaat ameer recounts his experiences at 'Aynaghar'
After 15 years of an oppressive regime, people from all walks of life have risen in a united movement, he says
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has shared the hardships faced by many religious scholars, including himself, during their detention at the secret facility known as "Aynaghar."
"I have personally seen the Ayanaghar. Many respected scholars, like me, were held there in secret. Their families had no idea about their whereabouts, and the detainees themselves were unaware of where they were held," he said while addressing a gathering at an Iftar meeting organised for orphans and religious scholars at a restaurant in Dhaka's Mirpur today (2 March).
He recounted the time of his last arrest, which occurred on 12 December 2022, at 3am, when members of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit took him into custody.
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"On a cold winter night, I was taken away in just one piece of clothing by CTTC personnel. There, I saw numerous scholars who had been detained under similar circumstances. Their families did not know where they were, and even those in detention had no idea about their location," Shafiqur added.
He continued, "After a few days, I was taken to court, but not presented before a judge. I was then moved from the court's detention cell to Keraniganj Jail, and later to Kashimpur Jail. I was accompanied by around 30 scholars, all handcuffed and shackled, as we were taken to prison."
The Jamaat leader further said, "After 15 years of an oppressive regime, people from all walks of life have risen in a united movement. After many sacrifices, a change took place on 5 August, which signifies a shift toward a better society."
Dhaka North City Ameer, Md Selim Uddin, also addressed the gathering, speaking to the orphans and scholars present at the event. Several others also shared their thoughts, representing orphans and scholars at the Iftar event.
