Vigilance beefed up in all prisons
New central jail will open after November 15 this year: IGP
UNB
Inspector General of Prisons Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin yesterday said vigilance has been tightened in all the prisons across the country following the killings of two foreign nationals, reports UNB.
Italian national Cesare Tavella was gunned down in the citys Gulshan area on September 28 while Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi was shot to death in Rangpur on October 3.
All of the prisoners, who are taken out of or brought to jail, are frisked at the jail gates as part of the security measures to avert any unpleasant incident, the IG (Prisons) said.
While addressing a press briefing at his Department of Prisons office at Bakhsibazar in the city, he, however, said they did not issue any red alert.
Theres no instruction from the Home Ministry to issue red alert in this regard, he said, adding that all the jails remain always alert.
Besides, security at the cells where foreign prisoners are kept has been tightened after the killing of the two foreigners, the IG (Prisons) said.
He also said the prisons authorities have already requested police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) to increase their patrol surrounding the jails throughout the country.
Asked about the relocation of Dhaka Central Jail to Keraniganj on the outskirts of the capital, Brig Gen Iftekhar said the new central jail will open after November 15 this year. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the jail at her convenient time, he added.
About the capacity of the new jail, he said primarily 4,000 male prisoners will be accommodated and it would be increased up to 8,000 gradually.
The IG (Prisons) also said there are currently over 71,000 inmates in all the jails across the country although their capacity is only 34,681.
Of them, 70 percent are under trial prisoners, he added. He said 514 foreigners remain detained in different jails in the country with 73 of them waiting for release.
Asked why many foreign prisoners are not being released even after the expiry of their jail terms, Brig Gen Iftekhar said it takes time to verify their addresses through their respective embassies or high commissions on completion of their jail terms. Many foreign detainees provide fake addresses when they are arrested, he added.
