Prisons IG Removed After Details of Escaped Militants Made Public

❐ Staff Reporter

The government has removed Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Md. Motaher Hossain from his post after revealing information on the number of militants and high-risk prisoners who have escaped from prison, militants released on bail, and the number of prisoners in excess of the country’s prison capacity.

After news of his withdrawal emerged on Wednesday, a new discussion has begun about various statements made by the Prisons Department in recent times.

However, the government has not yet provided any explanation as to why he was removed because of his public statements. As a result, it is not possible to say for sure whether the removal is directly linked to the statements.

Motaher Hossain has previously given information to the media about prisoners who escaped from prisons on several occasions. According to the information he provided, more than 2,200 prisoners escaped from various prisons in the country during the unrest of July-August 2024. Although about 1,500 of them were later arrested, about 700 prisoners remained absconding. Among the escapees were high-risk prisoners such as militants, death row inmates, and top terrorists.

In September 2024, the Inspector General of Prisons said that a total of 70 militants were among the escaped prisoners. He said that nine of them were convicted militants and the rest had cases pending against them for alleged militant affiliation.

At the same time, he said that 174 accused in the case have been released on bail since the fall of the government. Among them were people identified as members of militant organizations. He also gave information that 11 top terrorists have also been released on bail.

Later, information about escaped militants also came to light. A 2025 report, based on data from the Prisons Department, said that 69 of the prisoners who escaped from prison were identified as high-risk. Of them, 60 were death row inmates and nine were militants.

Meanwhile, Motaher Hossain has spoken out about prison conditions at various times this year. In July, his statements about the treatment of prisoners, prison management, and deaths in custody were reported in the media. He also admitted to the shortage of doctors and ambulances in the prison.

His information on the prison capacity also came under discussion. In December 2024, he said that while the total capacity of the country’s prisons is about 42,000, the number of prisoners before August 5 was about 80,000. Later, the number decreased due to bail, but it started increasing again.

In this context, journalist Shoaib Chowdhury, in a status on his social media, questioned the government’s role, citing Motaher Hossain’s statement. He claimed that the lack of documentation on militants who escaped from prison or were released on bail is serious and this information can also be of importance to international human rights organizations.

Shoaib Chowdhury further questioned in his status whether there was any connection behind the decision to withdraw the Inspector General of Prisons after his public statement at such a sensitive time. At the same time, he also mentioned the possibility that Motaher Hossain, as an army officer, had impartially presented the real situation of prison management.

However, there has been no independent verification of these claims and questions made in Shoaib Chowdhury’s status. In particular, no official evidence has been publicly available on whether the documents of militants who escaped from prison or were released on bail were deliberately destroyed or disappeared.

On the other hand, the information given by the Inspector General of Prisons in his public statements regarding militant or high-risk prisoners is mainly presented as information obtained under the Prisons Department’s accounts and responsibilities.