Inside Bangladesh's house of horrors

Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of torture

For the first time, Sky News has seen inside one of these prisons - secreted in a compound in the capital of Dhaka, behind ominous black gates that mark the barracks of Bangladesh's elite counter terrorism force, Rapid Action Battalion, which campaigners call a "death squad".

Outside the prison compound, a set of steel doors bolted with big locks opened to reveal a row of cramped, windowless cells - little bigger than a coffin.

A slightly larger room was empty apart from a large steel chair with thick metal straps and a motor underneath.

Survivors describe being strapped down and spun violently during interrogations. On the ceiling were bolts detainees were allegedly hung from and next door were rows of shackles. 

Another building housed bags of Phensedyl, a banned codeine cough syrup that's used as a recreational drug in Bangladesh. There were bundles of counterfeit money, too, and explosives which were allegedly used as fake evidence to incriminate people.

Prosecutors at Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) claim these cells were used to torture detainees as part of the ousted government's "war on terror". There could be as many as 800 of these types of prisons, prosecutors believe, run by different security forces.

Many of those detained were political opponents of the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. The 77-year-old was the country's longest-serving premier, ruling for more than 20 years, spread across two stints in office.

Despite initially being hailed as a pro-democracy icon, Hasina is accused of becoming an autocrat, with politically-motivated arrests, extra-judicial killings and other abuses allegedly happening on her watch.

During her second period in power, from 2009 to 2024, investigators allege that she established a vast network of hidden jails to crush those she viewed as potential threats. It's believed that as many as 3,500 people were disappeared as a result.

Hasina claims it's all a political witch hunt. She resigned in August 2024 and fled the country after weeks of deadly protests spiralled into nationwide unrest. The former prime minister is now in exile in India.

The ICT has issued two arrest warrants against her for crimes against humanity over last year's deadly crackdown on protesters and enforced disappearances during her tenure. Bangladesh has asked India to extradite her, and a team of lawyers is hoping to see her stand trial in Dhaka.

Chief prosecutor, Tajul Islam, says they have concrete proof that Hasina directly ordered enforced disappearances. "We have interviewed some of the perpetrators who are commanders of the different forces. They have stated they did everything as per the order of the prime minister," he says.

In 2019, indigenous rights activist Michael Chakma was blindfolded and thrown into a car. He was driven to another secret detention centre, codenamed House of Mirrors, by men who said they worked for "the administration".

Once inside, he was questioned about hidden weapons and his criticisms of Hasina's ruling party, the Awami League. He claims an officer threatened to electrocute him and burn his ashes if he failed to answer their questions. 

He spent more than five years in prison. During his incarceration, he begged a guard to shoot and kill him. Meanwhile, his family gave up hope and held a funeral for him.

Then, Hasina was ousted. Not long after, Michael was blindfolded, taken outside and dumped in a forest. The men who left him there told him to wait 30 minutes before removing his blindfold.

Six months on, he's relieved but haunted by the horror he experienced. As he talks, he breaks down in tears, recalling the moment he saw daylight. "I saw the world again," he says, wiping his eyes. Michael's freedom felt like a miracle at first, but he still suffers from panic attacks and nightmares.

Hundreds of families are still waiting for news of loved ones who have disappeared.

Every night, Hazera Khatun prays and leaves the gate open just in case her son, Sajedul Islam Sumon, returns. The father of two was an activist and leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

His sister, Sanjida, says she and her family went from one government office to another in search of him when he first vanished. But no one registered their complaint. His family believe he was picked up, along with five others, by Rapid Action Battalion officers.

Sanjida runs a support network helping others who believe their brothers, husbands, sons and fathers are also victims of enforced disappearances. "If he's not alive, then where have they thrown him?" she says as a tear rolls down her face. "I don't know where to go and pray."

A commission set up in August 2024 by the interim government in Bangladesh to investigate enforced disappearances has received 1,700 complaints so far from families.

But they believe there are likely as many as 3,500 victims. They are hoping that by the end of the year, they will have enough evidence to help families understand what happened to their relatives.

For years, Bangladesh's rivers were the final resting place for sordid secrets, hiding stories of state-led brutality and acting as dumping grounds for the bodies of political captives.

This has left investigators with little forensic evidence.

"People would be shot beside bridges and their bodies thrown over," says Nabila Idris, a member of the commission set up to investigate enforced disappearances last summer by Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus.

“Their bellies would be slit and cement or bricks pushed inside.” 

Military officers who served in the RAB told the commission this was "standard procedure" to help bodies sink.

To the outside world, Sheikh Hasina delivered huge economic success to Bangladesh and was a stabilising force. The garment export industry flourished under her rule, lifting millions out of poverty. Her war on terror was also in part supported by the British and Americans. A true political survivor, she endured numerous arrests while in opposition as well as several assassination attempts. She survived court cases accusing her of corruption, too.

But Bangladesh's security forces have been accused of serious abuse and torture. Hasina, who once fought for multi-party democracy, has long been criticised for repressive authoritarian measures against her political opponents and the media. 

Now, the former prime minister and many of her top aides have fled the country. Nabila says that many of the perpetrators are "in Canada, the US, the UK and the Netherlands", adding: "These governments need to work with us to hand them over."

Nabila says it took the commission just three months to be sure they had a compelling case of state-backed torture. But getting Sheikh Hasina to a courtroom will be difficult. She says the interim leader Muhammad Yunus has "unleashed terrorists" and is unfit to govern and claims she is being falsely accused. 

But every day, new cases emerge. Some believe there are now so many, Bangladesh should hand over the mounting workload to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to prosecute.

But speaking to survivors, whistleblowers and hearing from those on the streets who now feel freer to talk, there are a lot of people who want to see justice delivered at home. And fast.

-SKY NEWS