A commission formed to investigate cases of enforced disappearances during the previous Awami League government has received 400 complaints within just 13 working days of its operations.

The commission, led by former High Court Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, said this at a press conference held in the capital's Gulshan on Thursday.

According to the testimonies gathered, the commission uncovered a secret detention facility, known as "Ayanaghor," located within the Directorate General of Defence Intelligence (DGFI) headquarters. The facility includes a Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) housed in a two-story building containing 22 cells.

Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury said: "We are investigating complaints from individuals who were forcibly disappeared under state sponsorship or by law enforcement agencies. We will summon those against whom allegations have been made to hear their statements. If they fail to appear, we will take legal action as per the law."

He said that the majority of complaints have been lodged against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), DGFI, Detective Branch (DB), and Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit.

The commission visited DGFI's Ayanaghar on September 25 and DB and CTTC on Tuesday, but reported no detainees present, suggesting that all may have been released after August 5.

The initial deadline for submitting complaints was set for September 30, but Justice Chowdhury announced an extension to October 10, with the possibility of further extensions if necessary. So far, 75 individuals have provided statements in person, while others submitted complaints via post or email.

Commission member Noor Khan said: "We want to hear every complaint without revealing the identities of the victims. Our goal is to understand what happened and how individuals were unlawfully detained."

Miz Nabila Idris, another member of the commission, highlighted that many incidents in the complaints had not been reported previously. "We invite everyone to come forward. We are receiving complaints from outside Dhaka as well, and we will give equal attention to those submitted via post or email," she said.

Commission member Sajjad Hossain reported that their observations at DGFI's Ayanaghor matched victim accounts but noted that some evidence had been destroyed, including wall writings that had been painted over.

"We have formally requested that no changes be made to the condition we observed until the investigation is complete," he added.

The commission was established on August 27 to investigate enforced disappearances carried out by law enforcement agencies during the Awami League government, as stated in the formation decree, which includes various branches of police and defence forces among those under scrutiny.