DHAKA, 7 May 2005 — Bangladesh is set to construct a high-security prison at Kashimpur in Gazipur distruct north of Dhaka city for hardened criminals so that they cannot operate illicit activities from inside the jails, officials in the Home Ministry said here yesterday.
The initiative to establish such a special prison has been taken considering the feeble condition of the jails particularly the Dhaka central jail, they said, adding that dominance of the hardened criminals over common prisoners, criminal activities by the security forces, and drug peddling have highlighted the risk to keep them in the jail.
The hardened criminals now in different jails across Bangladesh would be put together in the special jail to be built near the under construction Gazipur central jail at Kashimpur, the Home Ministry officials said.
“Once the high-security jail is established, dominance of the hardened criminals will come to an end, stopping such malpractices.” the officials added.
It is learned that the hardened criminals particularly those who are now at the Dhaka central jail enjoy all kinds of facilities by violating the jail codes and using the jail security personnel.
“They maintain a constant contact with their gang members and carry out criminal activities even while staying in the jails,” said a Home Ministry official.
Other than confinement, he said, the most-wanted criminals used to enjoy all the facilities a citizen enjoys at home simply breaching the existing secured system in the jails.
Both the Home Ministry and jail sources said the criminals are least bothered about the jail codes, and are using cell phones, watching television and selecting satellite dishes as per their wishes.
They said Prime Minister Khaleda Zia had ordered the ministry in 2004 to go for the prison following untoward incidents involving the prisoners.
The recovery of a grenade inside the Dhaka central jail that houses a majority of the hardened criminals and the convicts of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case exposed the state of jail security. Recently two factions of prisoners also clashed inside the jail over drug peddling.
The government felt the incidents were not a good sign, and has planned for the new prison to put all the hardened criminals in safe custody.
