Inspector General of Prisons (IG Prisons) Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain on Tuesday said around 900 prisoners who escaped from prisons are still on the run.
Making the disclosure at a briefing at the Department of Prisons in Dhaka on prison security issues, the IG prisons added, “After the fall of the Awami League government due to the mass uprising on August 5, there was chaos and mutiny in several prisons across the country.
“Some of these prisons were even attacked from the outside. Amid this chaos, more than 2,000 prisoners escaped, including those sentenced to death, life imprisonment, different terms of imprisonment, and those awaiting trial. After that, till date, 900 prisoners are still at large.”
Motaher Hossain further added, “There were incidents of looting ammunition from several prisons, and during the escape attempts, some prisoners died while many prison officials and guards were seriously injured.
“Due to arson and extensive vandalism, two prisons suffered significant damage. Many residential quarters of prison staff were also heavily damaged. However, with the prompt assistance of the army, the prison department managed to secure other prisons with remarkable bravery.”
He continued, “As the country’s law and order situation improves, it has become possible to send back most of the escaped prisoners to jails. Some of them have returned voluntarily, while the others were apprehended with the help of law enforcement agencies.
“This is an ongoing process. Additionally, a significant portion of the weapons and ammunition looted from the prisons have already been recovered, and efforts by law enforcement are underway to recover the remaining items.”
This prison boss then stated, “With the goal of developing prisons into institutions of trust for service recipients and effective correctional facilities, training plans have already been formulated, to enhance the professional skills of officers and staff.
“Steps have also been taken to appoint key positions based on skills and qualifications. Measures have been implemented to address seniority-related complications and stagnant promotions, as well as to address various fair demands related to increasing manpower.”
Motaher added, “Additionally, appropriate investigations and disciplinary actions are underway concerning corrupt officers and staff.
“In this regard, the prison department assures that if any evidence of corruption is found against its officers or staff in the future, strict measures will be taken promptly.”
