Investigation on jailbreaks, punishment only transfer
Like jailbreak movies - The Shawshank Redemption, Papillion, Escape from Pretoria and Cool Hand Luke, - four death row convicts escaped from the Bogura prison by drilling a hole in the roof using the handle of an aluminium bucket for 25 days.
The jail authorities are embarrassed over the jailbreak incident as the inspector general of prison sent an SMS to the superintendents of 68 jails across the country, expressing dissatisfaction.
The IG said such an incident is unwarranted and it put the image of the country’s prison system in question. Such negligence is unacceptable.
Prison experts said criminals are identified in the incidents of prison irregularities and negligence, but they hardly receive punishment, and transfer is the lone punishment for any irregularity.
Investigation report recommends stern punishment, but, in most cases, persons who are found to be responsible are warned.
In some cases, the accused are transferred to less important prisons, but they often return to important posts in several months exerting influence.
In August 2020, an inmate of the Kashimpur Central Jail-2 in Gazipur escaped prison using a ladder that he made himself. Abu Bakar Siddik, who was serving life, was wearing no prison uniform during the escape. No jail guards intercepted him on his way out. And they did not ask him why he was making that ladder either. Abu Bakar Siddik whose sentence was commuted to life from the death penalty also went missing in 2015.
When Abu Bakar Siddik, wearing a plainclothes and with a ladder on his shoulder, exited through the main gate of the Brahmaputra Bhaban, on-duty prison guards were nearby. He then crossed the field and got to the main gate and faced no obstacle.
The investigation committee formed over this incident said that had jail super, jailers further monitored inside the jail, deputy jailers patrolled their area regularly and the jail guards carried out their duty properly, the ladder would not have been in the prison. The probe found jail officials showed negligence. Then-jailer faced the action, but jail superintendent Jahanara Begum had her salary suspended for a year only. Currently, she is the superintendent of the Mymensingh jail.
A murder accused, Farhad Hossain alias Rubel, 20, escaped the Chattogram central jail by jumping an 18-foot-high wall at a 22-foot distance from the roof of a four-storied building. Jail officials were merely ‘rebuked’ over this incident.
Investigation report recommends stern punishment, but, in most cases, persons who are found to be responsible are warned. In some cases, the accused are transferred to less important prisons, but they often return to important posts in several months exerting influence.
Another murder accused, Tarek Uddin escaped under the guise of Mohammed Hossain, an accused in a theft case, in May 2016, and the Khashimpur jail officials and employees had involvement in it. These two prisoners were taken to the hospital showing them ill, and they were put in a cabin, and Tarek Uddin fled the hospital. He was one of three suspected muggers who shot dead businessman Jahir Uddin in front of Uttra Bank in the capital Shajahanpur on 19 May 2015.
There has been a rise in the number of inmates fleeing the hospitals. An accused, Mintu Mia fled from the capital’s Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, and jail authorities captured him from the Babubazar area. Accused Sujon Molli, 25, escaped from the isolation facility of the Jashore 250-bed general hospital breaking the grills of the window. An accused in a robbery case, Harunur Rashid escaped from the custody of the chief judicial magistrate court of Dhaka.
Two militants facing the death penalty were brought to Dhaka’s chief judicial magistrate court from Khasimpur Central Jail-2 under the custody of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) in November 2022, but these two militants were snatched from the courtyard by throwing spray at the police’s eyes. The fugitives were Moinul Hasan Shamim alias Sifat Samir and Md Abu Siddique Sohel alias Sakib and both were members of banned militant outfit Ansar Al Islam, formerly Ansarullah Bangla Team.
The next day, prisoners were also sent in a similar fashion from that high-security jail. At that time, a deputy inspector general was transferred, but neither any official of the Kashimpur jail faced action nor was transferred.
Previously, experienced, relatively competent, capable, courageous and able-bodied officials were transferred to large or district prisons, but currently, officials with no experience are being transferred or prompted as senior jail super, jail super and jailer to big prisons.
Several officials who served as jailers or jail superintendents highlighted the weakness of the prison authorities over jailbreak incidents. They said there was traditional management in transfer and promotion in the prison department, but it is not being followed now. Previously, experienced, relatively competent, capable, courageous and able-bodied officials were transferred to large or district prisons, but currently, officials with no experience are being transferred or prompted as senior jail super, jail super and jailer to big prisons. As a result, opportunities are arising to create incidents at important prisons and that is tarnishing the image of the prisons department.
The incumbent jailer of the Bogura prison allegedly conducted firing by general people, when he was posted in the Netrokona jail. As the allegations were found to be true, then-home secretary Mozammel Haque handed the jailer with departmental punishment. This jailer has been transferred many times; yet, the official was promoted and posted at the Bogura prison.
Asked about the least jailbreak in Bogura, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan told Prothom Alo there was negligence of the prison authorities for sure, but whoever is involved could be understood after investigation, and persons involved must face actions.
*This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna