Photo : TDM
Overcrowded inmates coupled with inadequate healthcare facilities and rampant corruption have turned the country’s key prisons – especially the central ones in Dhaka and Gazipur – into chambers of perpetual torment rather than places of correction and reform.
The trouble got increased further due predominantly to the sudden increase in the number of inmates following the latest political arrests.
On condition of anonymity, a Dhaka central jail official said to The Daily Messenger that the prison can hold up to 9500 inmates instead of the regular number of 4590. However, currently, the situation is much worse as the number of prisoners has significantly increased to 10707 (till the filing of this report on Thursday).
Replying to a query about what sort of steps have been taken to reduce the extra pressure, he said, “We moved inmates from here to Kashimpur jail part-1 and 2. But, now those are flooded as well, including inmates of high-security cells.”
Mahbub Alam, the jailer of Dhaka Central Jail, said, “It’s not correct that we are struggling with the increased number of prisoners. Normally, a prisoner gets 36 feet of cell area. During emergency situations, when the number rises, we often place 3 inmates in the place meant for one.”
According to the latest statistics by the South Asia Peace Action Network (SAPAN), Bangladesh has the highest prison occupancy rate among all South Asian countries, standing at 197 percent, as well as the highest proportion of pre-trial detainees, at 83.7 percent.
Bangladeshi rights activist and renowned photographer Shahidul Alam, while recounting his days in jail following his arrest on August 5, 2018, said that there is a big sign inside the prison which discloses it is free from corruption. “However, during my time there, I found that nothing happens inside the jail without monetary transactions,” he said.
However, disagreeing with the information of the jailer/ the jailer of Dhaka Central Jail, the Dhaka central jail source also said, “Recently, a large number of political detainees have landed here. We have gang leaders who have links with the underworld, as well as militants, muggers, thieves, rapists, and money launderers. We are facing troubles in terms of security. They often engage in scuffles as well as plan crimes after getting out.”
According to the jail statistics, eight out of every 10 prisoners in Bangladesh are in jail either as pre-trial detainees or on remand, which is making the jails have the highest proportion of detainees.
The prison population is overflowing as the country’s 68 jails are housing inmates thrice their capacity, with over 1,03,107 inmates (till the filing of this report on Thursday) against a maximum holding capacity of 42,459.
Several lawyers said that such a high number of pre-trial detainees is resulting in lengthy legal procedures due to an insufficient number of courts and judges, as well as the existence of stringent laws, such as the Digital Security Act, which have a low rate of bail provisions. Besides, political arrests have made the scenario worse.
In addition, in the face of the overflowing jails, where every two people have to share facilities meant for one, inmates rarely receive adequate medical attention, resulting in hospitalisations and even deaths, as reported in different national dailies disclosing deaths of inmates at different hospitals, including the DMCH.
The matter is evident from the jail authorities’ own statistics, which show that many of the posts of jail physicians are lying vacant, while half the posts of nurses and pharmacists remain unoccupied as well.
It should be noted that prisoners in pre-trial detention or on remand (pre-trial detainees) are those who, in connection with an alleged offence or offences, are deprived of liberty following judicial or other legal processes but have not been definitively sentenced.
Officers of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the Detective Branch told The Daily Messenger that a total of 41 cases, 37 against the BNP men, have been filed against over 12702 political people in July. Among these accused persons, over 200 are named, while the rest are unidentified. Earlier in July, a total of 202 cases were filed against over 8000 BNP men, among whom over 800 were arrested.
In this connection, Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation released a report stating that 46 kinds of unlawful behaviour have been seen during the political movement in the month of July 2023.
The report also said that among the latest cases, 33 were filed by the police itself. Besides, even 13 BNP men were arrested as loiterers under section 55.
This stat also makes it evident that the prisons across the country are literally struggling with inmate overflow, improper medical facilities, security issues, as well as corruption.
Referring to this development, the jailer of Dhaka Central Jail said, “The numbers change every day. We ensure proper management every time. Nothing goes unchecked.”
TDM/SD
