Jhenaidah Jail Holds More Than Four Times Its Capacity, Authorities Struggle to Accommodate Inmates

❐ District Representative

Recently, the pressure has increased in the Jhenaidah District Jail due to the overcrowding of prisoners, which is almost four times the capacity. Due to the overcrowding, prisoners are being kept in the storage area of ​​the prison and even on the balcony outside the cell. This also does not solve the problem. The pressure of additional prisoners is likely to increase the overall environment of the prison, law and order, and the health risks of the prisoners.

It is learned that although the Jhenaidah District Jail has a capacity to hold 382 prisoners, there are currently about 1,250 prisoners there. As a result, there are more prisoners than the designated capacity.

Meanwhile, the pressure of additional prisoners is increasing due to the lack of appeals and bail for 3, 6, and 12 months in prison for drug cases in the mobile courts of the district’s 6 upazilas.

In addition, there have been reports that the prison population is increasing rapidly due to the arrest of leaders and activists of the Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League and allied organizations in six upazilas of the district in a special operation for alleged political sabotage.

The police are arresting Awami League leaders and activists from different parts of the district every day without any case. The prisoners have to wait for a long time in the courts for bail in all these political cases. As a result, the pressure in the prisons is constantly increasing.

In addition, the additional inmate population has put a huge strain on housing, food, medical care, sanitation, and security management. At the same time, prison guards are also facing difficulties in carrying out additional responsibilities.

A prisoner who was recently released from prison on bail in a political case, who did not want to be named, said that the lack of space is also causing various problems in the prisoners’ normal lives.

He also said that the prisoners in the current prison are having a hard time sleeping, staying and eating. In addition, the food in the prison canteen is expensive. The government is not paying attention to these things and is arresting Awami League and Chhatra League leaders and activists in bulk. The entire current prison has become an ocean of people.

In addition, overcrowding in residential rooms has resulted in inadequate space, sleeping arrangements, and personal space, putting additional pressure on toilets, showers, water supply, and other sanitation facilities.

In addition to the prisoners, the officials and staff involved in prison management are also under increased pressure. As the number of prisoners exceeds the allocated manpower, they are having to perform additional responsibilities to manage security and daily management activities.

Concerned parties are citing the long delays in resolving cases and the high number of undertrial prisoners as one of the reasons for the increasing pressure on prisoners in prisons. Concerned parties believe that the pressure on prisons could be reduced somewhat if the cases of undertrial prisoners are resolved quickly.

Meanwhile, there is a risk that the additional inmates will put additional pressure on the prison’s medical system. Prison authorities are having to take extra precautions to ensure healthcare for the large number of inmates, treat the sick, and prevent infectious diseases.

In this regard, Jhenaidah District Jail Superintendent Habibur Rahman and District Superintendent Swapan Kumar Ghosh said, “The capacity of the prison is 382. Currently, the number of prisoners is about 1,250. There is pressure on the management as there are more prisoners than the capacity. However, the prison authorities are trying to ensure food, medical treatment, security and other necessary services for the prisoners as per the rules.”

He added, “Despite the high number of prisoners, necessary measures are being taken to maintain security and order in the prison.”

Concerned people say that to reduce the pressure of excess prisoners in prisons, it is necessary to increase infrastructural capacity, increase the necessary manpower, and give importance to the speedy disposal of pending cases. At the same time, they are also emphasizing on increasing the overall capacity of prison management to ensure a humane environment for prisoners.

Regarding the additional prisoners in the prison, Judge Court Senior Lawyer Advocate Abdul Khalek Sagar said, “Most of the prisoners in the district jail are in political cases. They are being detained for months. We hope that the court will grant regular bail to all these prisoners.”

A defendant is only proven guilty if a case is filed, otherwise he is not a criminal.

In this regard, human rights activist and journalist political analyst Shahidul Enam Pallab said, “It is not right to keep anyone in prison for a long time without trial. Except in some particularly sensational cases, every accused has the right to get bail. Justice is not established if you keep someone in prison for a long time. I hope the government will take the right decision in this regard.”