Handcuffs, Blindfolds, Mirrors: Inside Sheikh Hasina's Secret Jail 'Aynaghor' in Bangladesh - Chilling Details

Dhaka: Months after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster, chilling details have emerged from a secret underground jail in the country in which her dissents were kept. Hasina fled from Bangladesh in August this year after students' protest turned into an anti-government movement. This secret military detention centre, known as 'Aynaghor, meaning 'house of mirrors', is the jail in which Hasina's critics were held, reported . Hasina was in power from 2009 to 2024. According to reports, hundreds of dissents were taken into custody by Bangladeshi security forces. Some of them were reportedly killed.What Was House Of Mirrors?Hasina had allegedly used the state machinery to curb all those who questioned her. Many people who were picked up by security personnel are still missing. Their families have not received closure. “What we want is an answer — what happened?” said Tasnim Shipraa, whose uncle Belal Hossain disappeared in 2013 as reported by NYT. “It’s almost like he never existed in this world," she added.According to human rights organisations, over 700 people were forcefully picked up by the Bangladesh security forces since 2009. Some dissidents were also picked up just for organising a rally against Hasina's government.A former Bangladesh ambassador to Qatar and Vietnam, Maroof Zaman, was released in 2019 after spending over 450 days in the prison. He reportedly pinpointed the military garrison in Dhaka on Google Maps. The location has now been marked as Aynaghor.The name Aynaghor or 'house of mirros' was given to the prison as prisoners were not allowed to see any other person apart from themselves.Bangladeshi barrister Ahmad Bin Quasem was detained in 2016. He was kept at the prison blindfolded and handcuffed for eight years. "That's the first time I got fresh air in eight years. I thought they were going to kill me," he told AFP earlier in 2024.Arrest Warrant Against Sheikh Hasina:On Thursday, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal Thursday issued an arrest warrant against Hasina. The court has directed that Hasina be produced before it on November 18, said chief prosecutor of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Mohammad Tajul Islam, describing the court’s decision as a "remarkable day.".Hasina, 77, who ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, is accused of widespread human rights abuses, including the detention and extrajudicial killings of political opponents.After fleeing Bangladesh on a military helicopter, Hasina has not been seen in public, with her last known location reported to be at an undisclosed location in New Delhi. India's grant of temporary asylum to the ousted leader has sparked tensions between the two countries, leading Dhaka to revoke her diplomatic passport.