‘Before taken to India Salahuddin was held in TFI Cell’

Dhaka: International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Aminul Islam has said that preliminary investigations indicate the current Home Minister, Salahuddin Ahmed, was once detained in a room inside the secret Task Force for Interrogation (TFI) Cell at RAB-1 headquarters before being taken to India.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday (August 1) after accompanying tribunal judges on an inspection of the TFI Cell, Aminul Islam said investigators identified the specific room based on evidence collected during the investigation and testimonies from victims.

He explained that the tribunal’s inspection was conducted under Rule 46A of the International Crimes Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure, relevant provisions of the Rome Statute, and Bangladesh’s existing laws. The tribunal approved the judicial visit following a request from the prosecution.

According to the chief prosecutor, although the so-called “Aynaghar” (House of Mirrors) has long been the subject of public discussion, the purpose of the inspection was to allow judges to examine the site firsthand rather than relying solely on documents and witness testimony. The observations from the visit will be recorded in a memorandum and preserved as part of the official case record.

Aminul Islam said the inspection found 22 rooms of varying sizes inside the facility. Some of the rooms were so small that it would have been impossible for a person to lie down comfortably.

Based on witness statements gathered during the investigation, detainees were allegedly held in these rooms with their hands and eyes bound for days, months, and in some cases years. They were also reportedly subjected to various forms of torture. While some detainees were later produced before courts in different cases, others allegedly never returned.