Inspector general of prisons Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain on Tuesday revealed that nine militants were among 700 inmates who remained absconding till now after a jailbreak during the past year鈥檚 political unrest.
More than 2,700 prisoners had escaped during the unrest and more than 700 prisoners were still absconding, he said at a press conference held at the headquarters of the Directorate of Prisons at Bakshibazar in the capital.
鈥楢mong the absconding prisoners, nine are militants and 69 are convicts sentenced to death or life imprisonment,鈥� he said.
Among the weapons looted at the time, 29 weapons had not yet been recovered, he said, adding that law enforcement agencies were working to recover the weapons and arrest the absconding prisoners.
At the press conference Prisons chief Motaher also announced a plan to rename Bangladesh Jail as Correction Services Bangladesh, highlighting rehabilitation and human-centric approach.
鈥楾his initiative was taken as a part of prison reforms initiatives. The proposed Correction Service Act 2025 was finalised and forwarded for the government approval,鈥� IG prisons Motaher said.
The law would modernise existing prison regulations and align them with international standards on human rights and correctional practice, he said.
He also said that initiatives were taken as well to create 鈥榗orrectional industrial parks鈥� at convenient locations to keep inmates productive.
鈥業n addition, two new central and four district prisons were opened recently as the existing jail facilities exceeded their capacity to accommodate inmates while the Dhaka Division was split into two zones to enhance administrative coordination and operational efficiency,鈥� Motaher also said.
Replying to a query on the allegations of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia about facing inhumane treatment while in prison, IG prisons Motaher said that he had seen such news in various media.
However, no complaint regarding Khaleda Zia was submitted to them so far, he said, adding that they would investigate the matter if a complaint was received.
Motaher said that steps were taken to intensify the prison security arrangements, including installation AI-based CCTV cameras and introduction of body-worn cameras or body-cams in and around jails across the country.
A process is underway to develop a build a central prison hospital in Keraniganj upazila of Dhaka for inmates and jail staff, he also said.
鈥榃ork is underway to ensure uninterrupted power supply in prisons by installing solar power panels. Prisoners鈥� telephone calls and visits has been brought under digitalisation,鈥� the prisons chief mentioned.
A hotline service 鈥�16191鈥� had been launched for service recipients for prisoner-related information, he added.