Most of the death row prisoners in Bangladesh belong to the low-income group, says a study.
As high as 72 per cent of prisoners were classified as “economically vulnerable” while 53 per cent were in low-paid work or unemployed, according to the study conducted by the Department of Law at Dhaka University in collaboration with the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust and The Death Penalty Project, UK.
The study was conducted on 39 death row prisoners in 2019-20 to investigate socio-economic characteristics and their experiences.
The findings said almost all families suffered from huge economic losses and problems as a result of legal proceedings against prisoners. “Due to economic hardship, six families had to sell property.”
The families of 22 prisoners could not even afford regular visits to the prison, it said.
The study said 33 per cent of interviewees alleged that prisoners were tortured in custody.
According to the study, there were 11 executions during the period 1991-2000.
The number soared to 57 in the next decade, while it was 30 from 2011 to 2019.
The study revealed that most death row prisoners have a low level of education.
It said 87 per cent of prisoners had no qualifications beyond secondary school level while 15 per cent had no formal education.
Majority of prisoners were male (97 per cent) and the youngest and oldest convicts were 19 and 55 years respectively at the time of offence, according to case documents.
There are currently at least 1,650 people on death row, it said.
