Gulam Rabbani :
A total of 462 prisoners have been found without any trial for more than five years in 58 jails across the country. They have been detained in various charges such as murder, rape and other criminal offences, jail Authorities sources said.
“We have received reports in this regard from all the jail authorities in the country,” Coordinator of the Supreme Court Legal Aid office Ripon Paul Sku told The New Nation yesterday.
The office of the Inspector General of Prisons has recently submitted the report to the Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee (SCLAC).
On November 16, the SCLAC sent separate letters to the jail authorities across the country seeking information about those prisoners, who have been in jail for long time without any trial.
Currently, there are 68 jails in the country. The SCLAC requested for two separate lists of the prisoners. One list will be for those, who have been in the jails for more than five years and the other one for more than 10 years without trial
so that the legal aid committee can provide legal assistance to them.
The government has taken the responsibility of providing legal assistance to the poor litigants. But it exposes from the recent media reports that many prisoners have been staying in jail for a long time without any trial. The trial proceedings of the cases against them continue for years for various reasons, including absence of witnesses in the trial courts, according to the letters.
In reply to the letters, the jail authorities sent lists of 462 prisoners to the office of the Inspector General of Prison. Later the jail authority sent the list to the Legal Aid office.
According to the lists, 5 prisoners are in Dhaka Central Jail, 27 in Mymensingh Jail, 4 in Kashimpur-1 Jail, 57 in Kahsimpur-2 Jail, 5 in Kashimpur Women Jail, 21 in Kashimpur High Security Jail, 5 in Faridpur District Jail, 3 in Tangail, 1 in Jamalpur, 8 in Kishoreganj, 18 in Narayanganj, 11 in Narsingdi, 4 in Munshiganj, 1 in Netrokona, 2 in Manikganj and 2 in Shariatpur District Jail.
Besides, 17 prisoners are in Rajshahi Central Jail, 4 in Pabna District Jail, 5 in Bogra, 8 in Sirajganj, 2 in Noagaon, 5 in Joypurhat and 4 in Natore Jail. 2 in Rangpur Central Jail, 1 in Chapainawabganj, 9 in Nilphamari, 11 in Dinajpur, 6 in Thakurgaon, 4 in Gaibandha and 2 in Kurigram District Jail.
There are 56 in Chittagong Central Jail, 39 in Cox’s Bazar, 4 in Khagrachhari, 2 in Bandarban, 17 in Comilla Central Jail, 4 in Chandpur, 2 in Noakhali, 4 in Feni, 4 in Laxmipur District Jail, 14 in Sylhet Central Jail, 2 in Habiganj, 6 in Moulivibazar and 4 in Sunamganj.
Also 7 in Jessore Central Jail, 10 in Khulna, 2 in Bagerhat, 1 in Narail, 1 in Magura, 4 in Jhinaidah, 10 in Chuadanga, 3 in Barishal, 2 in Patuakhali, 2 in Barguna, 3 in Bhola, 1 in Jhalakathi and 1 in Pirojpur District Jail.
The reports said that 10 jails out of 68 have no prisoner without trial. These jails are Sherpur, Meherpur, Gopalganj, Lalmonirhat, Panchagar, Kushtia, Brahmanbaria, Rangamati, Madaripur and Rajshahi District Jails. Most prisoners are housed in Kashimpur-2 Jail.
Ripon Paul Sku also said that the committee will now study the report to select the under-trial prisoners who will be given legal aid.
Terming the situation as an inhuman behaviour legal expert and former president of Supreme Court Bar Association Khandker Mahbub Hossain said these prisoners are deprived of their fundamental rights.
The people who are responsible for the woes of these prisoners should be punished, he said.
A total of 462 prisoners have been found without any trial for more than five years in 58 jails across the country. They have been detained in various charges such as murder, rape and other criminal offences, jail Authorities sources said.
“We have received reports in this regard from all the jail authorities in the country,” Coordinator of the Supreme Court Legal Aid office Ripon Paul Sku told The New Nation yesterday.
The office of the Inspector General of Prisons has recently submitted the report to the Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee (SCLAC).
On November 16, the SCLAC sent separate letters to the jail authorities across the country seeking information about those prisoners, who have been in jail for long time without any trial.
Currently, there are 68 jails in the country. The SCLAC requested for two separate lists of the prisoners. One list will be for those, who have been in the jails for more than five years and the other one for more than 10 years without trial
so that the legal aid committee can provide legal assistance to them.
The government has taken the responsibility of providing legal assistance to the poor litigants. But it exposes from the recent media reports that many prisoners have been staying in jail for a long time without any trial. The trial proceedings of the cases against them continue for years for various reasons, including absence of witnesses in the trial courts, according to the letters.
In reply to the letters, the jail authorities sent lists of 462 prisoners to the office of the Inspector General of Prison. Later the jail authority sent the list to the Legal Aid office.
According to the lists, 5 prisoners are in Dhaka Central Jail, 27 in Mymensingh Jail, 4 in Kashimpur-1 Jail, 57 in Kahsimpur-2 Jail, 5 in Kashimpur Women Jail, 21 in Kashimpur High Security Jail, 5 in Faridpur District Jail, 3 in Tangail, 1 in Jamalpur, 8 in Kishoreganj, 18 in Narayanganj, 11 in Narsingdi, 4 in Munshiganj, 1 in Netrokona, 2 in Manikganj and 2 in Shariatpur District Jail.
Besides, 17 prisoners are in Rajshahi Central Jail, 4 in Pabna District Jail, 5 in Bogra, 8 in Sirajganj, 2 in Noagaon, 5 in Joypurhat and 4 in Natore Jail. 2 in Rangpur Central Jail, 1 in Chapainawabganj, 9 in Nilphamari, 11 in Dinajpur, 6 in Thakurgaon, 4 in Gaibandha and 2 in Kurigram District Jail.
There are 56 in Chittagong Central Jail, 39 in Cox’s Bazar, 4 in Khagrachhari, 2 in Bandarban, 17 in Comilla Central Jail, 4 in Chandpur, 2 in Noakhali, 4 in Feni, 4 in Laxmipur District Jail, 14 in Sylhet Central Jail, 2 in Habiganj, 6 in Moulivibazar and 4 in Sunamganj.
Also 7 in Jessore Central Jail, 10 in Khulna, 2 in Bagerhat, 1 in Narail, 1 in Magura, 4 in Jhinaidah, 10 in Chuadanga, 3 in Barishal, 2 in Patuakhali, 2 in Barguna, 3 in Bhola, 1 in Jhalakathi and 1 in Pirojpur District Jail.
The reports said that 10 jails out of 68 have no prisoner without trial. These jails are Sherpur, Meherpur, Gopalganj, Lalmonirhat, Panchagar, Kushtia, Brahmanbaria, Rangamati, Madaripur and Rajshahi District Jails. Most prisoners are housed in Kashimpur-2 Jail.
Ripon Paul Sku also said that the committee will now study the report to select the under-trial prisoners who will be given legal aid.
Terming the situation as an inhuman behaviour legal expert and former president of Supreme Court Bar Association Khandker Mahbub Hossain said these prisoners are deprived of their fundamental rights.
The people who are responsible for the woes of these prisoners should be punished, he said.
