‘690 escaped inmates still at large since Aug 5’
The Department of Prisons has taken disciplinary action against 1,276 prison guards over the past two years after August 5 for various offences, including supplying drugs to inmates and facilitating unauthorised phone calls, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference at the Prisons Directorate in Bakshibazar, Dhaka, the IG Prisons said action had been taken wherever evidence of misconduct was found.
Of the 1,276 prison guards, 21 were sent into compulsory retirement, 82 were dismissed, 870 faced departmental action and 303 were transferred to different locations.
The IG Prisons also said 2,247 inmates escaped from different prisons during unrest in 2024. Of them, 690 remain at large.
A total of 826 inmates escaped from Narsingdi prison, while information on 166 of them has still not been traced, he said.
Nine militant inmates were among those who escaped. Six have since been arrested, while three remain fugitive.
The prisons chief said there are currently 379 foreign nationals in prisons across the country. Among them, 170 have completed their sentences and are awaiting repatriation.
The authorities are communicating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant embassies to facilitate their return.
Responding to allegations that former ministers and lawmakers of the now-banned Awami League were using mobile phones inside prisons, Motaher Hossain said the authorities could not give a “100 percent guarantee” that no such calls were taking place.
However, he said no leniency was being shown to anyone involved in such violations.
Nearly 3,000 mobile phones were seized from prisons over the past year, he said, adding that the trend has declined.
Some inmates are now being kept in special zones equipped with mobile network jammers, making it difficult to use phones even if devices are smuggled inside.
He also said former ministers and MPs were not receiving any special privileges in prison.
Asked about allegations of torture following the deaths of some detained Awami League leaders and activists, the IG Prisons denied negligence by prison authorities.
He said 122 inmates are currently receiving treatment at hospitals outside prisons.
A total of 187 inmates died in custody in 2025, while 122 have died so far this year.
He also acknowledged that prisons are facing a shortage of doctors.
On the issue of deceased foreign inmates, Motaher Hossain said arrangements had been made for around 17 bodies over the past two years. Two bodies were repatriated to India.
Under existing rules, the bodies of foreign nationals are preserved for up to three months.
Three bodies are currently being kept in cold storage. If no family member or foreign representative comes forward to claim them, DNA samples will be preserved and further action will be taken in accordance with regulations.
