Michael Chakma, a leader of the Chittagong Hill Tracts-based political party United People’s Democratic Front, has been freed from his secret detention in what known as ‘Aynaghor’ for more than five years following the deposition of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister.Â
Confirming his release, party member Phuikyaching Marma told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that Michael was left blindfolded at a place in Chattogram on Wednesday morning.
‘He later reached a friend in the place nearby,’ he said without giving further details.
Michael told his party and other associates that all these years he was incarcerated in Dhaka in the notoriously secret detention cell dubbed as ‘Aynaghor’ run by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, Phuikyaching said, adding that he seemed mentally disturbed and traumatised.
‘He seemed hesitating while talking,’ Phuikyaching continued, ‘We have got back our brother. He needs proper rest and treatment now.’
A leader of United People’s Democratic Front and also a central leader of left leaning organisation Mukti Council, Michael Chakma disappeared on the way to Dhaka from Kanchpur in Narayanganj on April 9, 2019.
His family had no trace of him till Wednesday.
The United People’s Democratic Front in a press release said that the Sheikh Hasina government took no steps to rescue Michael although his associates resorted to the legal system for his recovery.
Party central vice-president Nutan Kumar Chakma demanded trial of those involved in his disappearance.
‘I thank everyone who demanded Michael’s release all these years,’ he said, urging everyone to speak against enforced disappearance.
The Directorate General of Forces Intelligence in the morning reportedly claimed that there were no detainees in its Dhaka facility at present.
The directorate in a meeting with a civil society delegation at its headquarters on Wednesday claimed that there were no detainees in their cell in the capital at the moment, said Sanjida Islam Tulee, cofounder of Mayer Daak, a platform of the families of enforced disappearance victims.
‘The agency said that they would form a joint commission to inspect other facilities across the country to find if there are any more victims of enforced disappearance,’ Tulee said.
She also said that the delegation would meet the army chief to press their demand about forming an inquiry committee.
The delegation also included Odhikar secretary Adilur Rahman Khan, rights activist Shireen Huq and Dhaka University professor CR Abrar.
Earlier on Tuesday, former army brigadier general Abdullahil Aman Azmi, the second son of late Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ghulam Azam, and Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, the younger son of executed Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali, were released from the agency’s secret detention cell.
Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem went missing from Mirpur DOHS neighbourhood on August 9, 2016, and Abdullahil Aman Azmi went missing on August 23 of the same year, their families alleged.