A total of 99 prisoners have been released from Bogura district jail to lower coronavirus transmission possibility in jail.

The move comes in line with an earlier government decision to release 2,884 prisoners from jails across the country amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The prisoners were released from the district jail in three phases, said Bogura jail superĺ Md Taj Uddin.

"We have recommended releasing 169 inmates from Bogura jail to the home ministry. Among them, four prisoners were freed in first phase on May 2, while seven freed in second phase on May 3 and 88 released today in the third phase," said Taj Uddin.

Shariful Islam, jailor of Bogura jail, told our local correspondent that the 99 prisoners were sentenced to three months to one year maximum jail sentences in different cases.