The recent escape of at least 826 prisoners from a jail in Narsingdi has grabbed the attention of people across Bangladesh. With the recent nationwide unrest, curfew, and limited information about the country's state due to the six-day internet blackout, the jailbreak added to the common public’s anxiety.
People living in Dhaka as well as other districts have expressed fear about their safety and confusion about the whole matter, asking the authorities to beef up security measures so this does not create another unrest in Bangladesh.
A resident of Dhaka's Gulshan, Samarrah Chowdhury, told Dhaka Tribune said she felt scared to go out thinking what might happen if the authorities did not recapture the inmates.
"It is not about the 800-plus inmates... rather about even one dangerous criminal being out in the open, and what they may do."
Another resident of the capital's Mohammadpur, Hussain Azmain, an employee of a private company, said: "The situation is awful. Even one criminal openly roaming around is terrifying. I even saw on TV that they had looted weapons during their escape. I cannot even begin to understand how this happened."
He noted that the TV channels were showing different numbers, creating even more panic among people.
Meanwhile, a resident of Khulna, Idaf Mohammad, a freelance writer, said this was one of the scariest situations mainly because of the uncertainty involved with the escape.
"With limited information available about the prisoners who escaped, there is so much anxiety among all of us. It is making us wonder all kinds of things such as what their agenda might be, how it all happened considering the high security at the prison and what it might mean for the public in the coming days. Along with this, the stolen arms and ammunition also creates dread and raises questions as to who could have been behind this organized escape and why there are not any explanations offered.”
A resident of Munshiganj, Neepa Ahmed, said she had seen the news on TV but was not sure about how many prisoners had escaped. She added that the number of inmates was not even important -- the thing authorities now must focus on should be the safety of the people both in Narsingdi and other districts.
Tushi Sharmin, a student of a university in Comilla, said she was confused about how prisoners could knock down all the gates of a jail and escape a facility with such strong security systems.
"If they manage to get out of Narsingdi and hide in other districts, it would be even harder to catch them. And if they create any chaos, who is going to take responsibility for yet another unrest in the country?"
Ahmed Soikot, a resident of Rajshahi and an assistant engineer at a private company, said he was mostly confused and frustrated. "How did all of them escape at the same time? News says there were nine terrorists among them. So, how come they are still not caught? Should that not be a priority?"
On the other hand, Shahidul Shikdar, a resident of Bagerhat and a former banker, said he did not think the guards had the necessary training to handle such a situation. "It was planned. The security at a prison cannot be this weak."
Prithila, who lives in Chittagong, said she thought some employees might have been involved.
On July 19, at least 826 inmates escaped from the prison after some criminals smashed down the jail gate, allowing the prisoners to flee. They also looted arms and ammunition during their escape.
As of Wednesday, 261 inmates surrendered through the Narsingdi District and Sessions Judge Court.
