Staff Reporter :
A Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader has been released from the notorious secret detention centre known as ‘Aynaghor,’ which is allegedly operated by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).
The victim, Md Atiqur Rahman Russel, who served as the first vice-president of the JCD Dhaka College unit, was released on 6 August after enduring one month and six days in detention.
Upon his release, Atiqur recounted the horrific experiences he endured at Aynaghor to his family members.
According to Atiqur, he was dropped off in the Kuril Bishwa Road area of Dhaka at approximately 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
Using a pedestrian’s phone, he managed to contact his family, who rescued him around 5 a.m. and took him to a hospital.
Despite the ordeal, his physical condition is reported to be almost normal.
Atiqur, the son of Shariatpur District Journalist Union president Md Abul Hossain Sardar, was picked up by law enforcement agencies on the evening of 1st July near the Azimpur Sapra Mosque.
He was subjected to inhumane torture, and his whereabouts remained unknown until his release.
Following Atiqur’s disappearance, his family tirelessly searched for him, visiting various locations including the Detective Branch (DB) office, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) offices, several police stations in the capital, and even the DGFI.
However, none of the law enforcement agencies admitted to having detained or arrested him.
Desperate for information, Atiqur’s father filed a general diary at Dhaka’s Lalbagh Police Station on 2nd July. Subsequently, on 6th July, he submitted an application to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Lalbagh Zone.
In a further attempt to locate his son, Russel’s father filed a writ petition in the High Court on 10th July, seeking his son’s return.
The High Court issued a rule on 11th July, demanding a report on Russel’s whereabouts, but there was no significant progress in the case.
For a long and agonising month, Atiqur’s father continued his search across Dhaka, his health deteriorating under the strain.
Atiqur was finally released on 6 August, following the ousting of the fascist Awami League government on 5 August, in the wake of a mass uprising led by students.
