Ayna Ghar is currently one of the most notorious detention centers in the world. It surpasses all other hellish prisons globally. This detention center is located in a country that has achieved independence twice within five decades. This country is led by the recipient of the world’s highest award, Yunus. He is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Now, he is the head of the government of Bangladesh. Does that not fill you with pride?
It does not work for me. I cannot be proud of it.
I am somewhat ashamed as a Bangladeshi. See, what is happening to the Hindus and Indigenous people has never been this severe under any other government. But what is even more shameful is that this Nobel Peace Prize-winning head of government remains utterly silent about the infamous Ayna Ghar of the present world.
So, was Ayna Ghar created by the past Awami League government or by the military?
The Awami League is no longer in power. So why does Ayna Ghar still exist?
You might say that army officers were also held in Ayna Ghar.
Yes, they were. Those who posed a threat to the military’s interests were kept there. Most of those who were releasedwere BNP and Jamaat supporters. They were freed strategically to strengthen the current military regime. Yet, many people are still enduring a hellish life there.
No media outlet can write about it. That is why the media is silent. And Prime Minister Yunus himself is silent. Why?
Is Yunus’s silence a calculated political move? Should he compromise?
Why, then, does Yunus remain silent? One could argue that his silence is a calculated political strategy. By not addressing Ayna Ghar, Yunus avoids provoking the military or other powerful factions within his government. He may also fear that acknowledging its existence would expose him to international scrutiny and domestic backlash.
He cannot hide it.
This silence is not just politically expedient but morally indefensible. As a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Yunus’s refusal to speak out about Ayana Ghar is a betrayal of the very principles for which he was honored.
No doubt, Ayna Ghar is a severe Human Rights catastrophe.
Those who have been released from Ayna Ghar talk about it as a living nightmare. One of them, Michael Chakma, shared the terrifying reality inside. Detainees face brutal torture, are forced to confess to things they did not do and live in unbearable conditions. The place is shrouded in secrecy, with no access for human rights groups or independent observers.
Anyone who tries to dig deeper into these abuses is faced with threats. This secrecy only strengthens the belief that Ayna Ghar is not just a detention center—it is a tool of state terror.
Is Ayna Ghar Bangladesh’s stained reputation?
Yes, it is!
The continued operation of Ayna Ghar means a stain on the country. Human rights violations cannot remain hidden forever in an increasingly interconnected world. The operation of this hellish center must stop.
The longer Yunus and his government remain silent, the greater the risk that Bangladesh will face international condemnation. This could lead to a loss of credibility on the global stage. Is Yunus willing to risk Bangladesh’s future for political expediency?
Should we call for immediate action?
Yes, we must raise our voices.
The situation demands immediate action. The prisoners in Ayna Ghar need to be released without delay. There should be an independent investigation, ideally by international human rights groups, to uncover the full horror of what is happening there. Ayna Ghar must be torn down and its dark legacy wiped out.
Otherwise?
Yes, it would be a betrayal of justice and a permanent stain on the present government and Yunus’s legacy.
What is Yunus thinking now?
Yunus must ask himself- Is this the legacy he wants to leave behind? As a Nobel laureate, he once stood for peace, justice, and human dignity. Yet, his silence on Ayna Ghar casts a dark shadow over those achievements.
History will judge him not just by what he has done but by what he has failed to do. If Yunus continues to turn a blind eye to the horrors of Ayna Ghar, his legacy will be forever tainted by this shameful chapter in Bangladesh’s history.
If these actions are not taken, this government will face the same fate as the previous autocratic Ershad government and the Awami League government, both of which fell to mass movements.
In deed, Ayna Ghar is not the biggest hellish detention in Bangladesh. The biggest hellish detention of Bangladesh is Chittagong Hill Tracts where millions of indigenous have been demanding for freedom for few decades.
Photo – Taken from Injeb Changma’s Facebook Profile.
(Note: The photo is from the first film written in the Chakma language. The military has kept it in Ayna Ghar. We demand its release as well.)
