450 languish in jails for 5yrs

Home ministry asks law ministry, DCs to dispose of cases soon

Md Hachen Ali Bepari, a 35-year-old, is interned at Sirajganj District Jail as an under trial prisoner for the past six years. Son of Korban Ali Bepari in Moshipur village under Shahajadpur Upazila of Sirajganj district, Hachen was arrested on November 21, 2010, on the charge of women and children repression. A case No. 12/17/07/2010 was filed against him at Shahajadpur Police Station. But this case remains pending because nobody is there to plead the case for him. Nor is there anybody to bail him out or engage a lawyer to press for speedy trial to resolve the case for his release or conviction. Like Hachen, another six undertrial prisoners are marking their time without completion of their trial for the past five years although this is in violation of their human rights. And, along with these seven ‘unfortunate people’, there are about 450 people languishing in the country’s different jails as under trial prisoners for over five years. As this came to the notice of the Home Ministry, it sent letters to Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and the Law Ministry on Tuesday asking them to take steps to resolve the cases of under trial prisoners.
Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry Mozammel Haque Khan told The Independent that they have given this directive to the DCs and the Law Ministry so that nobody is in jail without trial. “It is not only the person, but their families too suffer if somebody is in jail,” he said and alerted the authorities concerned that nobody should misuse the law while disposing off the cases. Of the 450 people, interned in the different district jails as under trial prisoners for the past five years, 51 are languishing in Chittagong District Jail, 31 in Mymensing District Jail, 22 in Kashimpur Central Jail-2 and Cox Bazar District Jail each, 19 in Rajshahi Central Jail, 18 in Narayanganj District Jail, 17 in Comilla District Jail, 16 in Satkhira District Jail, 14 in Dinajpur District Jail, 13 in Sylhet Central Jail, 12 in Narshingdi District Jail, 11 in Natore and Chuadanga District Jails each, 10 in High Security Central Jail, Nilphamari District Jail and Jessore District Jail each, 8 in Dhaka Central Jail, Kishoreganj District Jail and Jhinaidoho District Jail each, 7 each in Sirajganj, Gaibandha and Khagrachari District Jails, 6 in Manaikganj District Jail, 5 in Kashimpur Central Jail-1, Kashimpur Women Central Jail, Faridpur District Jail, Tangile District Jail, Joipurhat District Jail, Khulna District Jail and Borguna District Jail each, 4 in the District Jails of Pabna, Bogra, Naogaon, Thakoregaon, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Moulvibazar, Patuakhali and Pirujpur each, 3 in the District Jails of Munshiganj, Kurigram, Rangamati, Noakhali, Bhola and Sunamganj and Barisal Central jail each, 2 in the District Jails of Jamalpur, Netrokona, Feni and Habiganj each and 1 in the District Jails of Shariyatpur, Chapainawabganj, Noraile and Magura each.

450 languish in jails for 5yrs

Home ministry asks law ministry, DCs to dispose of cases soon

Md Hachen Ali Bepari, a 35-year-old, is interned at Sirajganj District Jail as an under trial prisoner for the past six years. Son of Korban Ali Bepari in Moshipur village under Shahajadpur Upazila of Sirajganj district, Hachen was arrested on November 21, 2010, on the charge of women and children repression. A case No. 12/17/07/2010 was filed against him at Shahajadpur Police Station. But this case remains pending because nobody is there to plead the case for him. Nor is there anybody to bail him out or engage a lawyer to press for speedy trial to resolve the case for his release or conviction. Like Hachen, another six undertrial prisoners are marking their time without completion of their trial for the past five years although this is in violation of their human rights. And, along with these seven unfortunate people, there are about 450 people languishing in the countrys different jails as under trial prisoners for over five years. As this came to the notice of the Home Ministry, it sent letters to Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and the Law Ministry on Tuesday asking them to take steps to resolve the cases of under trial prisoners. Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry Mozammel Haque Khan told The Independent that they have given this directive to the DCs and the Law Ministry so that nobody is in jail without trial. It is not only the person, but their families too suffer if somebody is in jail, he said and alerted the authorities concerned that nobody should misuse the law while disposing off the cases. Of the 450 people, interned in the different district jails as under trial prisoners for the past five years, 51 are languishing in Chittagong District Jail, 31 in Mymensing District Jail, 22 in Kashimpur Central Jail-2 and Cox Bazar District Jail each, 19 in Rajshahi Central Jail, 18 in Narayanganj District Jail, 17 in Comilla District Jail, 16 in Satkhira District Jail, 14 in Dinajpur District Jail, 13 in Sylhet Central Jail, 12 in Narshingdi District Jail, 11 in Natore and Chuadanga District Jails each, 10 in High Security Central Jail, Nilphamari District Jail and Jessore District Jail each, 8 in Dhaka Central Jail, Kishoreganj District Jail and Jhinaidoho District Jail each, 7 each in Sirajganj, Gaibandha and Khagrachari District Jails, 6 in Manaikganj District Jail, 5 in Kashimpur Central Jail-1, Kashimpur Women Central Jail, Faridpur District Jail, Tangile District Jail, Joipurhat District Jail, Khulna District Jail and Borguna District Jail each, 4 in the District Jails of Pabna, Bogra, Naogaon, Thakoregaon, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Moulvibazar, Patuakhali and Pirujpur each, 3 in the District Jails of Munshiganj, Kurigram, Rangamati, Noakhali, Bhola and Sunamganj and Barisal Central jail each, 2 in the District Jails of Jamalpur, Netrokona, Feni and Habiganj each and 1 in the District Jails of Shariyatpur, Chapainawabganj, Noraile and Magura each.