Staff Reporter :
The government is planning to release three thousand under trial prisoners as a precautionary measure to prevent the infection of virus Covid-19 in crowded jails.
The jail authority has already sent a proposal regarding the matter to the Home Ministry along with a list of the inmates.
Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Prisons Colonel Md Abrar Hossain told the reporters that the proposal was sent as per the Home Ministry’s order in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
“We have sent a list of three thousand prisoners to the Ministry who are in jail for minor offences and could be considered for bail in the cases,” added Abrar Hossain.
He said after approval of the Home Ministry the proposal would be forwarded to the Law Ministry. Finally, it would be placed before the courts if the Law Ministry does not have any objection, added the official.
“The decision on bail will ultimately be taken by the judiciary as the matter falls within the jurisdiction of the judges, not us,” said Abrar Hossain
He said that as a routine procedure, they recommended the release of some prisoners at different times of the year.
The jail authority sent a list to the Ministry regularly as routine work comprising the names of those prisoners who have little punishment left and who are incapable and old. The Ministry arranges to release them after holding meetings and forming a board in this regard. Such prisoners are usually released before Eid, New Year, or National Day. A proposal for such prisoners has also been sent to the Ministry separately.
The death toll across the world has already exceeded 42 thousand 151 after being infected by novel coronvirus whereas total 8 lakh 58 thousand 785 people infected, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University.
And in Bangladesh total 54 persons have been infected and six people died so far, according to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
The prisons are in high level of risks of spreading coronavirus as the virus Covid-19 is extremely infectious. Earlier this virus was seen to be spread in the prisons of some countries, including China. Iran has also temporarily released some prisoners in special arrangements to avoid the risk of spreading coronavirus.
In our country there are about 90 thousand inmates in 68 prisons. The Home Ministry said that no prisoner was infected by coronavirus so far. But they isolated at least 40 prisoners as a precautionary measure.
