Michael Chakma was freed from Ainaghar on August 6, one day after the fall of the Awami League government amidst the student movement. Nearly five and a half years after his abduction, he was found in a jungle in the Mirsharai area of Chattogram, bound by his hands and eyes.
Michael Chakma said, "You cannot understand how unbearable the environment was if you were not there. It felt like death would be better than staying alive. I had completely given up hope of survival."
Not only Michael Chakma but also, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, other notable individuals were released from Ainaghar, including Abdul Jalil, son of war criminal Jamaat leader Golam Azam, and Barrister Ahmad bin Qasem (Arman), son of Mir Kashem Ali, who was sentenced to death for war crimes.
Though released from Ainaghar, Michael Chakma, an activist of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), has not fully recovered from the trauma and is still receiving medical treatment.
After the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh in 1991, peace talks began in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Following the second round of talks, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord was signed in 1997. The UPDF was formed on December 26, 1998, in opposition to this agreement.
The party of Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma (Santu Larma), who signed the Hill Tracts Peace Accord, saw a faction of young members break away to form the UPDF. According to local media, the UPDF has been involved in clashes with the military in the region from time to time.
The Bangladesh state views the Chittagong Hill Tracts exclusively through the lens of the military, claims Ankan Chakma, president of the Hill Student Council, an UPDF student organization. He tells Voice of America, "Since almost the beginning, Michael Chakma has been opposing the peace accord as the spokesperson for this organization... Michael Chakma speaks of full autonomy along with constitutional recognition for the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The state structure considers this demand a threat." Ankan believes this was the primary reason for his abduction.
On August 12, Michael Chakma recounted to Voice of America the events of his abduction in 2019 and the harrowing days at Ainaghar. Much of his account is presented in his own words for the readers.
What Happened on the First Day of Michael Chakma’s Abduction?
Michael Chakma describes the first day of his abduction, "On April 9, 2019, I was picked up from in front of Sonali Bank opposite Kalyanpur bus stand in Dhaka. They said they had been following me for four days to catch me, and today they succeeded."
"Before my eyes were blindfolded, I saw a walkie-talkie in the car, which is used by the administration. I had often seen news about people being arrested in civil dress in the papers, so I thought I had been arrested."
"The ones who arrested me were all in plain clothes. After the arrest, one person called someone to send a car. A car arrived immediately. They took all my belongings, including my mobile and bag. They blindfolded me with black cloth and asked if I knew about the case against me. I said these are political cases, which happen frequently in our country."
"They then asked why I was fleeing. I replied that if I were fleeing, I wouldn’t be in the country. They called someone and said, 'Michael Chakma is caught.' Then they mentioned a recent incident, saying my name was involved. I responded calmly, 'You are saying you have been following me for four days. How could I be involved in that incident if I wasn’t there?'"
"Then I was taken to a house. It didn’t seem like we went directly from Kalyanpur to that place. We were taken there after driving around a bit. They held me from around 5 PM and I reached there by evening. The house was like a police station but without any public access or police uniforms, completely isolated. I was kept in a room with iron doors similar to a lock-up, with a toilet and a water tap inside. I had to use the water from the tap for everything."
"In an adjacent room, there was a person who was taken elsewhere that night. I didn’t see his face as I was told to face the wall and not look back."
"I asked one of them if I could call my family as they must be worried. The person said it was impossible and that my situation would worsen if I did. They provided me food that night, and around 9 PM, 3-4 people came, blindfolded me, put on a black cap, and took me to another room. They started questioning me in a disorganized manner. One question was about why our student organization had called for a roadblock on the day of the Prime Minister’s visit to Khagrachari. Then they said, 'You are a traitor to the state.' I asked why I would be a traitor, and they replied that not accepting the accord (Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord) meant opposing the government, which they equate with opposing the state since the government runs the state."
"I countered that it was my civic right. In our country, opposition parties in parliament criticize the government and provide agendas. Should they be banned or charged with treason then? They didn’t respond to this and instead asked questions about the demands of our party, UPDF. They then took me back to the previous room, removed the blindfold, and gave me two blankets for sleeping. That’s how April 9 ended."
Fear of Crossfire on the Second Day
Michael Chakma describes the fear he experienced on the second day, "On the morning of April 10, after breakfast, I was again blindfolded and taken to another room. There, the blindfold was removed, and I saw a vacant table, some chairs, and two people. They repeated the questions from the previous night. After that, I was taken back to the previous lock-up-like room. A person brought lunch around noon, and I asked if I would be taken to court since I realized it was not a police station. He said, 'The officers are busy in a meeting. Once they are done, arrangements will be made.' Evening passed with the same response—'The officers are busy in a meeting.' After dinner, I seemed to have dozed off for about 15-20 minutes. Then someone woke me up, handcuffed me, and put a blindfold and black cap on me. I feared I might be taken for a crossfire as I had heard of many people being executed this way. I almost convinced myself that it was my end. Then I heard a car coming from outside and was taken to a vehicle. After getting in, the black cap was removed, but the cloth blindfold remained. As the cloth was light, I could see it resembled a police vehicle. Two people were beside me. One had something hard on his waist, which pressed against my body, increasing my fear that I would be killed today."
"Inside the car, they played music on speakers to block out any sounds from inside or outside. The car seemed to be going through rural roads with lots of bumps and uneven paths. After about an hour, the car stopped at a place. I had given up hope and thought I would be taken out for a crossfire. I started shouting slogans. I was unsure when they put me back in the car, but eventually, I was taken back to Ainaghar. I was so agitated that I couldn’t comprehend anything."
Physical Torture
"Though they didn’t speak to me directly, they inflicted physical torture. They hit various parts of my body with sticks and gagged me with a bamboo-like stick to prevent me from speaking. Later, a doctor came, took my blood pressure, and observed a deficiency of salts and low pressure. They provided some medication and advised that I shouldn’t be kept in high temperatures. I was then moved to a room with air conditioning and stayed there until my release. It had arrangements for both hot and cold water.
Release Day’s Anxiety
Michael Chakma recalls being woken up in the middle of the night on August 6. He initially thought it was for breakfast but was then blindfolded, handcuffed, and taken to a vehicle. The cap was removed, and music played to block out sounds. The car drove for about an hour, during which he realized he was being taken far from Dhaka. At one point, the car stopped, and he was hidden behind the driver’s seat. The blindfold was loose, allowing him to see that the road was dark and empty. He feared that he would be killed or that a new plan was being devised to frame him.
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