UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh visits DGFI headquarters; asks about Aynaghor

UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis today (6 August) visited the DGFI headquarters in the capital's Cantonment, where intelligence officials claimed they had no involvement in the operations of Aynaghor.

They also claimed that Aynaghor or "The House of Mirror" – an infamous black site or detention centre – was run by the RAB or police.

Senior Human Rights Adviser of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Bangladesh Huma Khan, Mayer Daak co-founder Sanjida Islam Tulee, photojournalist Shahidul Alam and prominent women's rights leader Shireen Huq were also present at the meeting.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Shireen Huq, recounted the meeting.

"There were a number of us there. We all wanted to go to the headquarters, but in the end they invited three of us," she said.

The trio sat in the waiting room where they were met by two DGFI officials. Soon, the meeting was joined by the UN resident coordinator and the senior human rights adviser, who had been holding a meeting earlier.

"As far as we know, there is no Aynaghor. There is a new building being constructed in its place and there is no one there either," Director General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) Director Admin Tamzid is quoted as telling the group. 

"We told them we don't believe them. But they insisted there was no one in Aynaghor. They then told us that they would check and let us know tomorrow, but we said we had to be informed by evening," she said. 

Shirin said they told the DGFI about the two released earlier today – former Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali's son Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem Arman – and said this was not the way to do so. 

"We told them that they claimed to have found the two in Diabari, with their eyes blindfolded. We urged them that all those illegally detained be handed over to their families through proper procedure."

On the issue of the numbers of people detained, Shirin said the DGFI claimed they did not have any data on this.

"We could not access the facility. We sat in the meeting room after submitting our phone," Shirin said.

A source at the UN said Lewis and Huma had gone to meet DGFI chief Major General Hamidul Haque. 

At the meeting, Haque also distanced the DGFI from Aynaghor.

The source said the DGFI also claimed that maybe some of those "missing" had been hiding, while reiterating the Aynaghor could be run by RAB. 

"The UN team insisted that they answer the people's questions so they can gain their trust," the source told TBS.

The UN team impressed upon the DGFI the need for people's confidence in the agency.

The DGFI officials insisted there was no one in their custody.

The UN also asked for the release of all those wrongfully detained in connection with the recent protests.

The team also wanted to go inside the headquarters, alongside the other activists, but this was denied.

The UN team and DGFI also discussed other issues, such as the formation of the new government.

In this regard, the source quoted DGFI officials as saying the situation was "challenging" as there was no police presence.

The agency also asked for 24 hours to produce a list of those who may have been illegally detained.

A number of rights activists had also gone to the headquarters to demand release of all prisoners illegally detained in the so-called Aynaghor on the day.