TAKING the advantage of security lapses, an accused in a murder case went missing from Chattogram Central Jail since Saturday morning. Even after searching all the day his whereabouts have not been found yet. The prisoner, Farhad Hossain Rubel, is an accused in the murder case filed with Sadarghat Police Station of Chattogram city. During the regular counting of prisoners in the morning, the absence of Rubel came to the notice of the jail authorities. He had been in jail since February 9.
Police sources said, Farhad stabbed to death a scrap seller named Abul Kalam Abu on February 5 at the SRB Rail Gate area of Sadarghat Police Station. Kalam’s mother Morzina Begum filed a case with the Sadarghat Police Station after which Rubel was arrested. He was an inmate at the “punishment ward” of Karnaphuli Bhaban in the jail.
Disappearance of prisoners is not new in the country. At times, prisoners disappeared from different jails taking the advantage of various security loopholes. Earlier on August 6, Abu Bakar Siddique, a life term prisoner came out from the Kashimpur jail crossing the wall with a ladder. Similar incidents also happened in Dhaka’s Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital prison on August 29 and at Dhaka’s Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court on February 23. However, both the accused were arrested later and sent to the jail again.
Various irregularities and security lapses that take place in different jails cannot be reined in as a section of officials allegedly condone illegal activities. They take illegal benefits by ignoring such practices. Hardly the guilty persons are actually punished. In many cases, the people responsible are merely transferred to less important jails. Then after a few months, they pull some strings and bounce back to key posts. As alleged, from entrance to exit of prisoners, nothing is done without money. Money bends the rule.
We think all security loopholes in jails must be removed immediately. Mere transfer of jail officials, guards and taking departmental action will not stop them from continuing to commit crimes. Since these are criminal offences, legal action must be taken against them. Otherwise, the same offences will be committed again and again.
