The alarming scale of drug trading in Bangladesh’s prison system has reached a serious point, with estimates signifying that over Tk 300 crore is generated each year from the illegal trading inside jails. Originally designed as establishments of rehabilitation, many prisons have instead become breeding grounds for criminal activity, with drug trading being one of the most diffusive issues. Despite effort from jail authorities, such as the proposed dog squads’ deployment in high-risk jails, the situation remains mostly unbridled.
The country’s 68 prisons house above 55,000 inmates and employ more than 11,000 staff members, making it a vast and complex system. Alarmingly, drugs like yaba and cannabis are not only being smuggled into the establishments but are also sold with the involvement of corrupt prison staff members. The arrest of Kashimpur High Security Jail Chief Guard Saiful Islam, captured in possession of 300 yaba pills, stresses the depth of the issue. Such incidents point to a system-wide problem where some guards are either involved or actively enabling the flow of drugs into jails.
Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Muhamad Motaher Hossain has acknowledged the issue’s gravity and pointed out plans to deploy dog squads to drug-prone jails. However, while this is a step in the right direction, it is not sufficient to tackle the deeper, systemic corruption that allows drugs to permeate prison walls. Experts argue that a more widespread approach is needed, one that includes the prison staffs’ drug testing, enriched surveillance technologies and stern disciplinary measures against those found to be involved in enabling the drug trade.
Prisons such as Kashimpur and Sylhet Central
have been identified as particularly high-risk
places for drug trading, but the problem is
systemic across all 68 jails
We know that prisons are intended to be places of rehabilitation and reform. But the diffusive drug trade within the establishments undermines this goal. Many inmates who enter for minor offense are exposed to a culture of drug abuse and addiction, further rooting their criminal behaviour. Inside jail, the drugs’ price is vastly inflated, with yaba pills— typically sold for Tk 200-250 outside— fetching Tk 500-600. This high demand feeds a profitable black market, worsening the problem of addiction and further allowing those who control the trade inside prison walls.
The family members of inmates are reasonably concerned, fearing that instead of receiving rehabilitation, their loved ones are being drawn deeper into addiction and criminal networks. The absence of planned anti-drug programmes and counseling services in jails only aggravates the situation, making it increasingly not easy for inmates to break the cycle of addiction and reform their lives.
Prisons such as Kashimpur and Sylhet Central have been identified as particularly high-risk places for drug trading, but the problem is systemic across all 68 jails. Without sterner supervision, corrupt officials will continue to allow the drug trading, enabling criminal networks to flourish within these establishments.
The experts are advocating for a ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy on drug trading in jails. Fresh solutions, like enriched surveillance systems and electronic monitoring, must be coupled with robust anti-corruption efforts to cleanse the system of criminal influence.
If Bangladesh is serious regarding reforming its jail system, a multi-faced approach is essential. Vigilance, accountability, technology and genuine rehabilitation programmes must work together to restore the veracity of the nation’s prisons and ensure that they serve as places of correction rather than hubs for criminal readiness.
