Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam on Saturday said an investigation has found that current Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed was also detained at the Task Force for Interrogation (TFI) Cell before allegedly being taken to India.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after visiting the alleged secret detention facility at the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) headquarters in Uttara, along with judges of International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1).

“The investigation has revealed that the current Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed was also kept in the TFI Cell before being taken to India,” Aminul said.

He said the tribunal judges were taken to the facility to directly inspect the alleged torture cells, adding that the visit would form part of the judicial memorandum in the ongoing proceedings.

“Those who destroyed evidence to conceal the existence of the so-called ‘Aynaghar’ (House of Mirrors) detention facility will not be spared,” the chief prosecutor said.

Meanwhile, lawyers representing the accused claimed there was no such facility as the TFI Cell and denied RAB’s involvement in the alleged enforced disappearances.

Earlier in the morning, shortly after 10:30am, the three judges of ICT-1, members of the prosecution team and defence lawyers in the enforced disappearance case visited the RAB-1 headquarters in Uttara and inspected the TFI Cell.

The case, filed over alleged enforced disappearances and crimes against humanity linked to the TFI Cell, names 17 accused. Of them, 10 serving or former army officers have been arrested. They were reportedly serving with RAB at the time of the alleged incidents.

Among those remaining absconding are ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her former adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former RAB directors general Benazir Ahmed and M Khurshid Hossain, Harun Or Rashid, and Lt Col (Retd) Muhammad Khairul Islam.

On 21 July, ICT-1 approved the chief prosecutor’s petition seeking permission for the tribunal to inspect the TFI Cell as part of the investigation.