Frequent jailbreak attempts deeply worrying
At a time when we are concerned about the overall law and order situation in the country, particularly with most police stations still non-functional and large abstention in the force, the repeated incidents of jailbreak attempts have raised further concerns. The latest incident occurred in Jamalpur jail on Thursday, in which six inmates were killed. Earlier, on Tuesday, a total of 209 prisoners fled from the Kashimpur High Security Jail in Gazipur after holding prison guards hostage during a demonstration. Six inmates were also shot dead then. On the same day, around the same time, at least 94 inmates fled from the Kushtia jail. In both these cases, the army took control of the situation later. But the question remains: why was the security of our jails not beefed up after the first incident of jailbreak in Narsingdi on July 19, in which 826 inmates including nine militants had escaped? Such incidents have also occurred in several other districts, including Chattogram, Sherpur and Satkhira.
Clearly, there are security lapses in our prisons, but an equally worrying development has been the escape of some hardened criminals, including militants and terrorists. For instance, in Narsingdi, inmates belonging to some militant groups escaped. Three of the six inmates who were shot dead were also militants. According to the jail superintendent, militants and ordinary prisoners together started the demonstration that day, demanding their release. This brings to the fore another crucial issue that needs immediate attention: the keeping-together of militants, terrorists, and general inmates in jails. This cannot be allowed because it increases security risks as well as the threat of radicalisation of ordinary prisoners.
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Moreover, many of the jails in the country remain overcrowded with prisoners, even after the recent releases following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Overcrowding is a long-standing issue in our jails. For example, according to a report published in July, the Chattogram Central Jail has a capacity to house 2,249 inmates, but is having to house twice as many prisoners. Also, hardened criminals and militants are kept in the same wards as general inmates in the prison, increasing its security risks.
We, therefore, urge the authorities to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of security risks in all our prisons, address their vulnerabilities, and increase their security, taking help from other security forces if necessary. Also, urgent measures should be taken to track down the escapees who are still traceless. These recent incidents also serve as a call to undertake prison reforms, which have been long overdue.
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