'His memories uncovered a secret jail right next to an international airport', BBC reports on Aynaghar survivors

When investigators smashed through a hastily built wall, they uncovered secret jail cells. 

This prison might never have been found without the recollections of Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, who was held there for eight years.

Though blindfolded for much of his captivity, Quasem remembered the sound of planes landing nearby, according to a recent BBC report. 

This crucial detail led investigators to the military base where, behind the main building, they discovered a smaller, heavily guarded, windowless structure made of brick and concrete — hidden in plain sight.

Since a mass uprising ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's government on 6 August last year, hundreds of victims have come forward. 

The secret prisons were reportedly run by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), allegedly acting on direct orders from Hasina.

"The officers concerned said all the enforced disappearance cases have been done with the approval, permission or order by the prime minister herself," Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor for the International Crimes Tribunal  (ICT) of Bangladesh, told the BBC.

Meanwhile, Awami League (AL) denied responsibility, claiming these operations occurred without their knowledge and blaming the military establishment — a charge the army rejects.

According to the BBC report, the former detainees still remain terrified even seven months after their release. Quasem, who never leaves home without a hat and mask, said, "I always have to watch my back when I'm travelling."

Revisiting his tiny cell, Quasem described conditions where "it felt like being buried alive." The cramped space had no windows or natural light. 

During summers, he would crouch near the door's base, seeking air. "It felt worse than death," he said.

Investigators believe this facility was just one of many. "We have found that more than 500, 600, 700 cells are there all through the country. This shows that this was widespread and systematic," Tajul told BBC.

Other former detainees share similar stories. Atikur Rahman Rasel, 35, was apprehended outside a mosque last July. "Being inside that place was terrifying. I felt like I would never get out," he said. 

Iqbal Chowdhury, 71, recalled being tortured with electric shocks and beatings. Rahmatullah, 23, spent a year and a half in a cell so small he couldn't stretch his legs while lying down.

Since the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances was created in September last year after the interim government took charge, they've received more than 1,676 complaints. 

A local NGO has documented at least 709 people forcibly disappeared since 2009, with 155 still missing.

To date, 122 arrest warrants have been issued, but no one has been brought to justice, leaving victims in constant fear, read the BBC report.

"They took away a year and a half of my life," says Rahmatullah. "The fear has not gone away. The fear will remain until I die."

Standing in what remains of his concrete cell, Quasem calls for swift trials so Bangladesh can close this dark chapter in its history.