Barisal Correspondent :
The prison cells at Barisal Central Jail are crammed with prisoners about double of its capacity, pushing the inmates to lead a subhuman life in its filthy unhygienic environment with little medical facilities.
Jail sources said, 1,138 prisoners, including 411 sentenced and 727 under trial, detained in Barisal Central Jail against the total capacities for 633 prisoners.
The situation has become worse as huge people are being sent to jail during special drive of the police to curb militancy.
The 185-year old Barisal Central Jail (BCJ) is designed to accommodate 633 prisoners, while currently it houses 1,138, said Munir Hossain, Deputy Jailor.
This number most often reaching 1,600 during the special drives of the law enforcers, acknowledged Kamal Hossain, senior jailor superintendent of BCJ.
The crisis would be reduced soon after handing over two under construction four-storied building with total accommodation for 224 inmates, the jail super added.
However, prisoners recently released from the jail denying disclosing identity, said the situation has turned so worse that detained prisoners have to pay money to the chain of jail administration for sleeping at night,
Because at two 90-bed rooms of Kirtankhola ward for under trial prisoners at BCJ have to accommodate 130-140 prisoners in each room for sleeping.
At two 40-bed rooms of Dhanshiri ward for convicted prisoners have to accommodate 75-80 inmates in each room, while at three rooms of Chandradwip with accommodation for 70 prisoners in each, have to arrange sleeping of 90-110 at night, another released prisoners told.
Almost the same condition prevailing at Rupasee, Amdani, Juvenile, Division and Female wards of BCJ, they added.
Jail sources acknowledged that at least 36 square feet space is required for each non-criminal prisoner; 24 square feet space for each convicted and under trial prisoner, 54 square feet separate condemned or solitary cell should be allotted for every death-sentenced prisoner as per jail code.
Besides the accommodation problem, the prisoners are beset with nutrition, health, sanitation, sports facility and amusement crises, told Advocate Parvez Akon Biplob, city BNP leader who recently detained in jail for political causes.
For more than 1,100 prisoners there were only 77 toilet for use during day-time and only 47 for night, less than one-third of the requirements, jail sources said.
The sick and ailing prisoners stay at jail hospital without any pathological testing facilities causing contagious diseases like chronic, skin, stomach tuberculosis, typhoid, dysentery and other infectious diseases, sources said.
The prisoners are also facing corruption, inhuman behaviour and torture, absence of legal aid and other basic humanitarian problems and deficiencies, acknowledged Enayet Hossain Chowdhury, a member of jail visitor team.
He said that the problem of overcrowding in prisons should be addressed properly by speedy bail to decrease the pressure of over crowding at jail.
The prison cells at Barisal Central Jail are crammed with prisoners about double of its capacity, pushing the inmates to lead a subhuman life in its filthy unhygienic environment with little medical facilities.
Jail sources said, 1,138 prisoners, including 411 sentenced and 727 under trial, detained in Barisal Central Jail against the total capacities for 633 prisoners.
The situation has become worse as huge people are being sent to jail during special drive of the police to curb militancy.
The 185-year old Barisal Central Jail (BCJ) is designed to accommodate 633 prisoners, while currently it houses 1,138, said Munir Hossain, Deputy Jailor.
This number most often reaching 1,600 during the special drives of the law enforcers, acknowledged Kamal Hossain, senior jailor superintendent of BCJ.
The crisis would be reduced soon after handing over two under construction four-storied building with total accommodation for 224 inmates, the jail super added.
However, prisoners recently released from the jail denying disclosing identity, said the situation has turned so worse that detained prisoners have to pay money to the chain of jail administration for sleeping at night,
Because at two 90-bed rooms of Kirtankhola ward for under trial prisoners at BCJ have to accommodate 130-140 prisoners in each room for sleeping.
At two 40-bed rooms of Dhanshiri ward for convicted prisoners have to accommodate 75-80 inmates in each room, while at three rooms of Chandradwip with accommodation for 70 prisoners in each, have to arrange sleeping of 90-110 at night, another released prisoners told.
Almost the same condition prevailing at Rupasee, Amdani, Juvenile, Division and Female wards of BCJ, they added.
Jail sources acknowledged that at least 36 square feet space is required for each non-criminal prisoner; 24 square feet space for each convicted and under trial prisoner, 54 square feet separate condemned or solitary cell should be allotted for every death-sentenced prisoner as per jail code.
Besides the accommodation problem, the prisoners are beset with nutrition, health, sanitation, sports facility and amusement crises, told Advocate Parvez Akon Biplob, city BNP leader who recently detained in jail for political causes.
For more than 1,100 prisoners there were only 77 toilet for use during day-time and only 47 for night, less than one-third of the requirements, jail sources said.
The sick and ailing prisoners stay at jail hospital without any pathological testing facilities causing contagious diseases like chronic, skin, stomach tuberculosis, typhoid, dysentery and other infectious diseases, sources said.
The prisoners are also facing corruption, inhuman behaviour and torture, absence of legal aid and other basic humanitarian problems and deficiencies, acknowledged Enayet Hossain Chowdhury, a member of jail visitor team.
He said that the problem of overcrowding in prisons should be addressed properly by speedy bail to decrease the pressure of over crowding at jail.
