Bangladeshi Barrister Released After Eight Years

After more than five years of uncertainty, the family of Michael Chakma, an Indigenous rights activist who went missing in April 2019, held a funeral service, believing they would never see him again. Chakma recounted his harrowing experience of mental and physical torture in a clandestine prison allegedly run by the military intelligence directorate (DGFI). He described the conditions as grave-like and expressed disbelief at his return, emphasizing the despair of fellow detainees. Chakma criticized the government, particularly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for equating dissent with treason, especially regarding the controversial Chittagong Hill Tracts peace accord. Sanjida Islam, a founder of Mayer Daak, a group advocating for families of the disappeared, highlighted the growing number of families joining protests, many of whom had previously remained silent due to fear of abduction under Hasina's regime. She warned that without significant reforms prioritizing human rights and democracy, the cycle of abductions and extrajudicial killings could continue. In a parallel story, barrister Ahmad Bin Quasem, who was released after eight years in a secret facility known as the "House of Mirrors," recounted his traumatic experience. He was abducted amid political turmoil and was unaware of the national protests that led to his release. Quasem's ordeal was compounded by the execution of his father, which he learned about only years later. Despite the joy of reunion, the scars of his detention remain evident, as his family grapples with the trauma of their experiences.