In the two months following the departure of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid widespread protests, the nation of 170 million has experienced a significant shift, allowing its citizens to envision a new future after 15 years of her leadership.
For three men, this transitional period has marked a return to freedom. Michael Chakma, a tribal rights activist, was among those released in August after spending five years in an underground military prison. “It was the first time I saw daylight in five years,” he remarked, reflecting on his release.
During Hasina's tenure, which began in 2009, numerous individuals were reported missing after being abducted by security forces, with many victims believed to have been killed or confined in a secret military detention center known as the House of Mirrors.
With Hasina no longer in power, investigations have uncovered details about her regime's secret detention program. Estimates suggest that over 700 individuals were forcibly disappeared from 2009 to the present, with human rights organizations indicating the actual number may be significantly higher.
Individuals were often targeted for minor political actions, such as organizing protests or expressing dissent on social media.
The House of Mirrors, a term first revealed by an exiled news outlet, refers to an underground prison operated by the military's intelligence division. Detainees reported hearing military parades above them while being held in confinement.
Conditions within the detention center were designed to psychologically torment prisoners. While medical check-ups and infrequent haircuts were provided, physical torture was reportedly limited to initial interrogations. Instead, the emphasis was on mental anguish.
Mir Ahmad Quasem Arman, a lawyer detained in 2016, described his experience of being held in a dark, windowless cell for eight years, often blindfolded and handcuffed. Former detainees provided similar accounts of the facility's layout, which included long corridors and minimal sanitary provisions.
Some detainees attempted to catch glimpses of sunlight through ventilation openings, only to have them sealed off once discovered by guards.
Of the individuals reported missing, approximately 450 have been located alive, while about 80 families received only the remains of their loved ones. Roughly 150 individuals remain unaccounted for.
The military's involvement in these detentions has come under scrutiny. Historically, the Bangladeshi military has maintained a strong reputation through its contributions to United Nations peacekeeping missions. In the wake of Hasina's departure, the military has positioned itself as a stabilizing force in a country facing significant challenges.
Currently, the nation is being led by Muhammad Yunus, an 84-year-old Nobel laureate, who has initiated efforts to address the issue of enforced disappearances, including the formation of a committee to investigate these crimes.