Jailbreak: Security concerns loom as over 900 prisoners at large

Faruk Ahmed, 43, used to work as an assistant at the Nuralapur Government Primary School in Narsingdi Sadar upazila. Later, he was accused of being involved in militancy. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested him on 24 March 2022.

After recording his deposition, the court sent him to the jail in Narsingdi. After that, he escaped the prison in July. However, he was arrested again within five days of escaping from Sonargaon in Narayanganj on 24 July.

On 19 July, an agitated mob from a procession vandalised Narsingdi District Prison and set it on fire during the student movement against discrimination. Some 825 prisoners escaped after the gate of the prison cells was broken. Faruk was one of them.

There have been several reports of prisoners revolting inside different prisons across the country. There were also incidents of prison attack from outside and vandalisation in some places, including Narsingdi. In all, 2,241 escaped from prisons taking advantage of the volatile situations in the country. It includes death row convicts and prisoners sentenced to life in prison.

As of Thursday, some 1,332 of those escaped prisoners returned to their respective jails. Some 909 prisoners are still absconding.

According to the prison sources, the absconding prisoners are accused in different cases filed on the allegations of robbery, killing, illegal arms occupation, rape, drug peddling and violence against women.

Experts say the notorious persons among the absconding prisoners are likely to get involved in criminal activities again which could deteriorate law and order in the country.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Inspector General (IG) Prison Brigadier General Syed Motaher Hossain said, “We have already filed cases against the prisoners who escaped amidst unrest. Law enforcement agencies have already brought many of them to book. At the same time, many of them have surrendered.”

He further said, “The prison authorities are constantly in touch with the law enforcement to bring back more than 500 absconding prisoners to jail. I think, gradually we will be able to bring everyone who escaped to book”

Several reliable officials in the law enforcement and the Department of Prison said information has been provided to each immigration point of the country regarding these prisoners so that they cannot leave the country. At the same time, joint drives are on to arrest them.”

The prison sources said inmates have escaped from five prisons before and after the fall of the Awami League government. There were reports of prisoners revolting in four of these.

The Narsingdi district jail is one of these. On 19 July, a few hundred people from outside barged inside the prison and opened the locks of the prison cells and set fire inside the prison compound. Taking the chance, some 826 prisoners fled, including nine militants. Of them, nearly 619 people surrendered.

Besides, three of the militants who escaped have been arrested. Some 204 inmates are still missing, Narsingdi district jail superintendent Md Shameem Iqbal Khan said.

The Kashimpur High Security Prison in Gazipur is one the prisons where the inmates staged demonstrations as the news regarding the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government spread in the prisons across the country. The inmates started the demonstration at the Kashimpur prison on 6 August. At one point, 203 prisoners escaped. Of them, 84 were either death row convicts or sentenced to death. As of Saturday, 200 inmates were yet to return.

Kashimpur High Security Prison super Abdullah Al Mamun, told Prothom Alo they had learned that three of the absconding prisoners were arrested. Two of them have been handed over to the prison authorities after completing the legal processes. Cases have been launched against them over the incident.

Meanwhile in Satkhira, several hundred people climbed over the boundary wall of the district prison and entered the prison compound. Later, they broke open the main gate and lock of the prison cells and freed some 596 inmates.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, jail superintendent Mohammad Enayetullah said, “So far 529 prisoners have surrendered or have been arrested. Some 67 inmates, including two women, are still missing.”

On the same day, miscreants broke open the main gate of the Sherpur district jail. They vandalised and looted the prison before setting fire to it.

Sherpur Jail Super Md Humayun Kabir said on Saturday some 91 prisoners had surrendered as of Saturday and 15 have been arrested. Still 412 prisoners are absconding.

Jail supervisor Md Humayun Kabir said 91 prisons have surrendered so far and 15 were arrested while 412 prisoners remain at large.

Two days after the student-people uprising, prisoners revolted in the Kushtia district jail on 7 August afternoon and 98 prisoners escaped. Jail caretaker A Barik told Prothom Alo that 72 prisoners have been arrested so far and 26 others are on the run.

Regarding the overall issue, former deputy inspector general of prisons (DIG-Prisons) Major (retired) Shamsul Haider Siddique told Prothom Alo several escaped prisoners who face less punishment or severed half of their sentence have returned. Prisoners who are militants, death row convicts and notorious accused did not return and they have been hiding in various places, which is dangerous for everyone.

Shamsul Haider Siddique further said a party will take advantage of the changed situation and create chaos and anarchy using these escaped prisoners. If notorious prisoners are involved in crimes, it will be very dangerous for the country and they are threats to security. Law enforcement agencies must be on alert about them and prisoners must be brought to book by strengthening surveillance on their movements, he added.