Authorities have formed a three-member committee to investigate the escape of a female inmate from Kashimpur Central Women's Jail in Gazipur and suspended seven prison staff over alleged negligence.
Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Prisons Jannatul Farhad confirmed the development, saying the committee, headed by Kashimpur Central Jail-2 Senior Jail Superintendent Halima Khatun, has been asked to submit its report within seven working days.
Three matrons—Laila Anjuman Sumi, Marina and Rehena—and four female prison guards—Shayla, Sharmin, Jamie and Asma—have been suspended based on preliminary findings of negligence.
According to prison sources, inmate Rimpa, 21, escaped on Thursday evening while several female prisoners were carrying bricks inside the prison. She allegedly climbed the cornice of a wall beside the prison office building before scaling the boundary wall.
Rimpa, daughter of Hasan from Raipur village in Meherpur's Gangni upazila, had been serving a three-month sentence in a case filed with Dhanmondi Police Station in Dhaka. She had been transferred to Kashimpur Central Women's Jail from court on July 9 and had been living in the capital's Karwan Bazar area.
Prison authorities searched the jail immediately after the incident but failed to locate her. CCTV footage later confirmed that she had escaped.
Jannatul Farhad said a general diary (GD) has been filed with Konabari Police Station and law enforcement agencies are working to arrest the fugitive.
"We are investigating how an inmate managed to escape despite the prison's security arrangements," she said.
She added that officials have obtained a lead after learning that Rimpa allegedly contacted someone in the Konabari area using a mobile phone.
The AIG also said inmates are required to be locked inside their cells by 5pm, but the procedure was not completed on time on the day of the incident, creating an opportunity for the escape.
Konabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Iftekhar Hossain said prison authorities filed the GD on Friday, and a search operation is underway to locate the escaped inmate.