Govt to release 37 life-term prisoners after over 20 years in jail

Staff Reporter :

The government has decided to release 37 prisoners who were sentenced to life imprisonment or more than 30 years in jail and have already served over 20 years, including remission.

The decision was formalised through an official order (Notification No. 143) issued on Tuesday (4 November), according to the Department of Prisons. The release is expected to be implemented within the next couple of days.

A high-level committee under the Ministry of Home Affairs finalised the list of inmates eligible for release.

The selection was made based on recommendations submitted by respective district prison authorities, the Department of Prisons confirmed.

According to prison officials, the decision has been taken under Section 569 of the Jail Code, which allows for remission of the remaining sentence in special cases.

All 37 inmates on the list have served more than 20 years of their sentences, including remissions granted for good behaviour.

Md Jannat-ul Forhad, Assistant Inspector General (Development) of Prisons, told Jugantor, “Those who were sentenced to 30 years or life imprisonment and have already completed over 20 years of their sentence were reviewed judicially.

Considering factors such as age, conduct, and rehabilitation, the government has decided to remit their remaining prison terms.”

He added, “According to the final order, 37 inmates are being released. Some had 10 years, others 7 or 6 years of their sentence remaining, all of which have now been waived.”

Forhad also mentioned that no female prisoners were included in this round of release, although the initial proposal had included both male and female inmates.

Most of those being released were convicted in murder cases and had been serving their sentences in various prisons across the country.