More than double inmates crammed into jails

Inspector General of Prisons brigadier general Syed Iftekhar Uddin said that the number of prisoners across the country stood at around 82,000 while the existing prisons have the capacity to accommodate 36,614 inmates, state news agency BSS reports. 

The inspector general revealed the information while speaking to reporters  after visiting the construction work of Madaripur prison on Wednesday.

He said that the government has undertaken a number of projects to build prisons to facilitate accommodation of additional prisoners across the country.

"Re-building of prison is urgently needed", Iftekhar said adding that some prisons are accommodating five to six times prisoners beyond their capacity.

He also said that the government is trying to increase capacity of the existing prisons.

“Old prisons are being renovated to solve the accommodation problem of prisoners,” he said.

He also hopes that this problem will come to a tolerable level by the next years.

Among others, Madaripur district administrator Wahidul Islam, civil surgeon Farid Hossain, police super Sarwar Hossain and Madaripur district jail super Shahidul Islam were present with him at the visit.