DIG stops selling milk in prison

Deputy inspector general of prisons (DIG prison) Tipu SultanCollected

Deputy inspector general of prisons (DIG prison) in Chattogram division Tipu Sultan has stopped selling milk produced in his farm to Chattogram Central Jail.

No cycle van carrying drums of milk was taken from his residence to the prison today, Thursday.

Cleaners Md Alamgir and Suresh Chandra Das used to take milk drums from the DIG prison’s residence to the prison in a cycle van every day.

When asked, cleaner Md Alamgir told Prothom Alo this afternoon that they did not take milk to the prison today. When asked about the reason he said, “These are matters concerning the officers. We did not take the milk because we were prohibited.”

When DIG prison of Chattogram division, Tipu Sultan was called to inquire about this, he did not pick up the phone. Tipu Sultan joined in Chattogram on 4 February last year.

He brought the cows with him when he was transferred from Mymensingh. Since then, he has been selling milk in the prison.

Later in the afternoon, inspector general of prisons (IG prisons) Brigadier General Syed Mohammad Motaher Hossain told Prothom Alo that the supply of milk to the prison has been stopped. In response to a question, he said that the process of forming a probe committee is underway.

Earlier, a report titled ‘DIG prison selling milk in Chattogram prison’ has been published in Prothom Alo today. The report said that according to prison rules, no prison official or employee can sell or rent any goods to the inmates. Besides, supplying liquid milk in this way can be a health risk for prisoners, said former prison officials.

The office of the DIG prison is located at Laldighirpar area in the city, adjacent to the eastern boundary wall of Chattogram Central Prison. His living quarter is located next to the office. He keeps 13 cows and calves right in front of the residence.

They are looked after by four government-paid cleaning staff (sweepers) of the prison. Since these four are busy outside at the cow farm, the remaining five cleaners struggle to clean up the prison cells of about 5,000 inmates.

DIG prison said

The prison rules state, “No officer of a prison shall sell or let, nor shall any person in trust for or employed by him sell or let, or derive any benefit from selling or letting, any article to any prisoner or have any money or other business dealings directly or indirectly with any prisoner.”

When asked, DIG prison in Chattogram division, Tipu Sultan told Prothom Alo Wednesday, “I supply milk in lesser quantities, not in larger amounts. I don’t charge much either. What’s the problem with that? I have also done it before.” 

Tipu Sultan did not answer all these questions including ‘someone can mix something with the milk on the way to the prison and doesn’t this pose a health risk to the prisoners?’ and ‘can he sell milk in the prison being a prison officer?’

All he said was, “Selling milk is my personal matter.” In reply to the question, ‘what rules permit the four cleaners to work on your farm, instead of working at the prison?’ the DIG prison said, “More workers were employed there before but I am using fewer staff.”

When asked about this, inspector general (IG) of prisons brigadier general Syed Md Motaher Hossain on Wednesday told Prothom Alo, “Anyone can raise two cows with permission. But I did not know about the milk from the DIG prison’s cow farm being sold to the prison, I’ll look into it.”

Visiting in person on Monday (27 January) around 10:21 am, cleaners Md Alamgir and Suresh Chandra Das were seen leaving the DIG prison’s office in a cycle van with milk. There was milk inside a drum and packets on that cycle van.

Two of the prison cleaners transporting drums of milk on a cycle van from the DIG prison's office to the prison on 27 January 2025.
Jewel Shill

When asked, they said that they were taking the milk from the DIG’s farm to the prison. Liquid milk and milk tea are sold in the prison canteen there. Within five minutes of saying this, they entered the prison with the cycle van. Half an hour later, Suresh and Alamgir left with the cycle van. While leaving, plastic bags filled with grass were seen on the cycle van.

The same picture was seen on 26 November last year as well. That day, cleaners Suresh and Abdur Rashid brought drums filled with milk to the prison from the residence of the DIG prison in a cycle van. When asked, Abdur Rashid told Prothom Alo, “This is the milk produced in DIG’s farm. It is sold in the prison canteen for the prisoners at Tk100 per liter.”

There are several hardware shops in the market on the road in front of the DIG prison’s office. This correspondent spoke to five shopkeepers there on Monday. They also said that drums of milk are taken to the prison in a cycle van every day after 10:00 am.

More than 5,000 inmates

According to prison sources on average there are more than 5,500 inmates in Chattogram Central Prison. There were 4,300 inmates there on Wednesday. Whereas, 16-17 cleaning staff are required for these inmates there are only nine. And, four of them look after the cows at DIG prison’s farm.

Prisoners are given two meals and breakfast every day. There are six specific contractors in the prison for this job. They provide all dry ingredients as well as rice, pulse, oil, fish, and meat. These foods are cooked in the prison and served to the prisoners after testing.

Apart from this, prisoners can buy food and other necessary items from the canteen in the prison. Relatives can deposit money in the prisoners’ PC (prisoner cash) and then the prisoners can spend the PC money in the canteen. The canteen is run by the prison officials.

There is no rule of supplying any cooked food including milk from outside to the prisoners. No one is allowed to provide that. But DIG prison Tipu Sultan is not following the rule.

For about 10 months, on average 20 liters of milk has been regularly supplied to the prison canteen from his farm. The retail price of milk in the market is Tk 80 per litre while the wholesale price is Tk 70 to Tk 75. However, the DIG prison is selling it in the prison for Tk 100 a litre. Based on that calculation, he sells milk worth Tk 2,000 daily and earns Tk 60,000 per month from the sales.

On condition of anonymity officials of the prison canteen, said they are forced to illegally buy milk from the DIG prison’s farm at a high price. When asked, in-charge of the prison canteen deputy superintendent of the prison Nawshad Mia told Prothom Alo Wednesday, “You know everything already. I can’t say anything.”

Shamsul Haider Siddiqui, former deputy inspector general of prisons, commented that bringing raw liquid milk into prisons is risky for prisoners. According to prison rules, the DIG prison cannot sell milk from his farm to the prisoners. A major accident can happen at any time, he told Prothom Alo.