The prison facilities across the countries have been overpopulated since the government began a nationwide anti-drug crackdown.
The overpopulation has caused sickness among the prisoners amid hot weather along with inadequate amenities.
A captive was alleged died of heat stroke in a packed jail in Kishoreganj.
Data from Prison Directorate shows, the country’s prison facilities have been stuffed with 80,085 prisoners against its capacity of 34,796 persons. Of the prisoners, 45 percent to 50 percent are either accused or convicted in drug cases.
Numbers of captives in the divisional and border districts are relatively high.
Speaking in the city on Friday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “The prisoners’ figure has increased since the government announced ‘zero tolerance’ to drug’.”
In a bid to prevent the worst, the Prison Directorate has asked to transfer the prisoner from the overstuffed jail to the less-packed ones and ensure the supply of water and electricity.
With a capacity of 5000 captives, Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj has now been filled with 10,231 prisoners. The figure rises every day.
Jailer Mahbub Rahman, however, claimed otherwise saying, “We are facing much trouble here. Pressure has gone down slightly for now.”
According to this prison official, authorities had to take over 100 prisoners a day at the beginning of the nationwide raid against the drug.
On Thursday, 11 prisoners from Chapainawabganj jail were admitted to the district’s state-owned hospital after they fell sick due to hot weather. One of the prisoners was in critical condition and referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
The Chapainawabganj prison facility is stuffed with 1,243 prisoners against its capacity of 275 only.
Contacted to jailer over mobile, one prison guard picked it up and replied, “The prisoners have been taken back to the jail and more electric fans have been installed.”
With a capacity of 1,500 captives, the Mymensingh prison facility is stuffed with 2,100 prisoners, Senior Jailer Jahangir Alam told Bangla Tribune.
Authorities have decided to transfer the prisoners after one died in Kishoreganj facility, which is packed with 1,250 captives against its capacity of 245 only.
The prisoner allegedly died of heat stroke which the jail authorities denied.
Jailer Baharul Islam claimed the prisoner, who was accused in a murder case, died of tuberculosis despite they arranged his treatment.
80 prisoners were transferred to Mymensingh facility on Friday with more 100 to be shifted on Saturday, Islam told bangle Tribune.