Tanvir Alam :
Four death row convicts who had escaped from Bogura District Prison through a roof leak were rearrested within an hour on Wednesday.
The four convicts are Nazrul Islam Majnu of Diadanga area in Bhurungamari upazila, Kurigram; Amir Hossain of Fazarkandi village in Madhabdi upazila, Narsingdi; Zakaria, son of Abdul Mannan, mayor of Kahaloo municipality, Bogra; and Farid Sheikh of Kuturbari Paschimpara, Bogura.
The convicts were arrested from near Chelopara Bridge in the city.
Superintendent of Police Sudip Kumar Chakraborty confirmed the arrests at a press briefing at around 9:30am.
Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam announced that a six-member investigation team, headed by the additional deputy commissioner, has been formed to investigate the escape.
Rajshahi DIG of Prisons Kamal Hossain also said that an investigation committee will be established led by an additional IG of prisons.
According to police and court sources, the escape occurred at 3:55am on Wednesday from one of the three condemned cells in the east-north corner of the prison, which houses 13 death row inmates. The four convicts breached the roof of the cell, fashioned a rope from bed sheets, and climbed onto the roof. They descended the high wall using the rope and crossed the Karatoa River bridge.
The group was arrested around 4:30am while preparing to flee from Chelopara Bridge, based on a tip-off received by local police.
They were taken to the DB office after primary interrogation.
Superintendent of Police Sudip Kumar Chakraborty said at the press briefing that new charges will be filed against the convicts before they are sent back to prison.
Bogra Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saihan Oliullah mentioned that Md Zakaria was sentenced to death for killing Naim, a child from Kahaloo, Bogra, and burning the body in a kiln.
Nazrul Islam Manju and Amir Hossain were sentenced to death in four murder cases.
The method of their escape through the jail’s condemned cell roof will be revealed through investigation, said the officer.
Rajshahi DIG of Prisons Kamal Hossain and other officials visited Bogra following the escape.
In response to journalists’ inquiries, the senior officer said that an investigation committee will be formed, and additional details will be provided later.
Concerns have been raised about how the convicts managed to escape from the prison, especially as they were not wearing prison clothes. Many are attributing the incident to negligence by jail officials and are demanding a thorough investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible.