Azmi described being released from 'mirror'

Former Army Brigadier General Abdullahil Aman Azmi, the son of Jamaat-e-Islami's late Ghulam Azmar, said, 'On August 6, someone told me that I may be released today. One said your clothes size. I said, I don't wear clothes, I can't tell the size. Later a cloth was brought. What you saw after the release of the pants-shirt. I saw it later. I have no idea what is happening outside. Later they left with me around 9:00. Later they took me along the Elenga road in Tangail and released me. It is said that the car will come and you will get in the car and leave. It was half past twelve at night.'

He spoke at a virtual press conference at around 11:00 on Tuesday (September 3). After being missing for 8 years, he returned to his family on August 7. After coming out of the mirror room, he described how he spent his time in the mirror room for the first time.

Abdullahil Aman Azmi said, while I was missing, I thought that they might kill me with cross fire. I used to recite Tahajjud at night and only cry to Allah. May Allah not let my dead body become food for dogs. May my body go to my family.

Narrating the disappearance, former Jamaat-e-Islami emir late Ghulam Azmar's son said, “When they came to my house, I asked them to know who you are, what is your identity, and show me your identity card.” I wanted to know if there was any warrant for my arrest. They did not answer me. He treated me very badly. At one point he blindfolded me in the car. I was taken to a place blindfolded. It was left there, in a dark room. Nothing could be understood there day or night. If she wanted to go to the toilet, she would take her blindfolded and handcuffed.

He also said, I have not seen any light of the world, I have not seen the sky, I have not seen the sun while I have been imprisoned there for the last 8 years. Every night there was the fear of crossfire. They misbehaved with me. I spent night after night crying over my captivity at their behavior. Sometimes they blindfolded me in such a way that I felt like my eyeballs would burst. While wearing handcuffs, the hand would get bruised. For eight years I was in a dark room, I could not see anything of the world during this time.

Azmi said, I came back and found out how much torture they had done to my family. They wanted to touch my wife. At one point, when they wanted to pick up my wife, she asked to take my mother with them, but they did not take her. At this time, the young lady of my house laid hands on the maid. They attacked everyone including the house manager and doorman.

While describing his release, Golam Azam's son said, 'I did not know about the revolution that took place in the country. On August 5th at 10:30 pm I was told that you will be taken to the doctor. I said, I pray Fajr and sleep. A few days ago, the doctor went and did a blood test. Where will you take it now? Later I was masked and taken to another room nearby.'

He also said, 'I said, I have been telling you for eight years that my teeth are broken, I am having ear problems. So far I told you to take me to the hospital, you don't take me. And now you are saying that you have to go to the hospital. He is taking me later, he is going, there is no end to him. I said that no hospital in Dhaka city is so far away. Where are you taking me? No one answered. The road is broken. I wanted to know that no road in Dhaka city is so broken. Are you taking me to a village or not? They did not reply. Later I was taken to another detention center. Now what I can guess is that they took me through the village road because of the way the students were checking the cars on the street. Later they said, you live here. I said, you will not take me to the hospital, where did you bring it? It was said, you will be informed later.'

He also said, 'Later they gave me money. I want to know how much the fare to Dhaka? They said they don't know. I want to know how much money is here. They said five thousand rupees. I said, I am not waiting for your money. From here pay as much money as Dhaka rent. They said whatever you do, donate, you have to take some money. I didn't feel like talking to them for a second. Then they dropped me off and left.'

Azmi said, 'I could not walk properly. Then I saw a car coming. Then I jumped into the bus. I still can't imagine how I ran like 100 meters down the street to get on the bus. I got on the bus later. I had the phone numbers of my wife and cousin in my mind. I took the phone from one and called them. The bus dropped me at the technical junction. After that I took the family with me and received treatment and reached home on the morning of the 8th.'

Bangladesh /KH