The Chattogram Central Jail in the recent past has been accommodating on average 7000 prisoners or five times its maximum capacity of only 1,853.
As a result, the prisoners are being deprived of jail code facilities. According to the jail authorities, the prison has a capacity of 1,853 prisoners. Of these, 1,748 are males and 105 are females.
In this situation, the Department of Prisons has been repeatedly requesting to select land for the construction of a second prison to solve the accoommodation problem of the prison. But the land could not be selected. There is no place to build a new building in the present jail. The prisoners have to be huddled.
Former Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said that there are several times more convicts in Chittagong than the capacity and it is urgent to build a new prison there.
“Apart from that, in order to build the prison as a correctional facility, various trainings including sports should be provided for the mental development of the prisoners. In addition, comfortable living, eating, medical treatment, visits and security arrangements need to be strengthened,” he added.
According to the Chittagong Central Jail sources, a letter from Brigadier General Mominur Rahman, Inspector General of Prisons, came to Chittagong Jail earlier this month.
It was said that select at least 30 acres of land to acquire land for the construction of a new prison in Chittagong district.
Besides, it was requested to send the necessary documents to the Department of Prisons. A long time has passed but no report has been received. Earlier, two letters were sent from the Department of Prisons for land selection in August last year and in October 2019.
The letter said that due to lack of space in the jail, the activities of the production department (gardening with prisoners, fish farming in ponds and making furniture) were closed. They are suffering from various diseases due to keeping more prisoners in a short range.
Farhad Hossain, accused in a murder case, escaped from Chittagong Jail on March 8 this year. He was later arrested. The report of the investigation committee formed in this incident raised the issue of not being able to handle as there were more prisoners than the capacity.
The report recommended that the detainees in the district and metropolitan police cases be kept separate.
Chittagong Central Prison Senior Superintendent Shafiqul Islam Khan said that they are looking for 30 to 50 acres of land in Chittagong Medical College Hospital and court that can be reached in less time, where prisoners can live well, so that training can be arranged including garment factory and fish farming.
“A few days ago, some vacant lots were seen along the Bayezid-Fauzdarhat link road. But the place was not selected because of the surrounding hills. Approval cannot be obtained as there are hills. A place will be selected soon and sent to the Department of Prisons`` he added.
