Staff Reporter :
A four-day conference of Asia and the Pacific regional prison managers scheduled to be held for the first time in Dhaka tomorrow (Tuesday).
At least 38 delegates from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua NG, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vanuatu will take part in the conference, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Iftekhar Uddin told reporters in a press briefing in the city’s Bakshibazar on Sunday. Officials — Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General of Prison — from at least 14 countries will participate in the meeting scheduled to be held at Le Meridien hotel in Dhaka, the IG prisons said. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan will inaugurate the conference on Tuesday which will conclude on Friday, said Syed Iftekhar Uddin.
The prison officials will share their experiences and practices during the meeting organised by Bangladesh Department of Prisons and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Syed Iftekhar Uddin said. He also informed the reporters that a process is underway to occupy 134 acres of land for building a jail in Ukhia upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. The jail will be constructed under Open Jail System, he said. “There are six doctors only for the country’s 68 jails while 111 posts of physicians still remain vacant, according to him.
Moreover, nine ambulances only have been allocated for the prisoners across the country, he said. “We have already informed the Ministries of Finance and Health about the shortage of doctors, nurses and ambulances for positive response,” he added.
