Fifty-four prisons across Bangladesh do not have ambulances, forcing seriously ill inmates to be transported to hospitals in rickshaws, locally called “leguna,” often resulting in deaths en route. According to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), 112 prisoners died in custody between August 8 last year and November this year.
The number of inmates in prisons without ambulances stands at 34,840. Prison officials describe the absence of ambulances for such a large number of prisoners as a major crisis.
The country’s 68 prisons have a combined inmate capacity of 42,590. However, this number fluctuates throughout the year, reaching up to 70,000. In September 2022, the Department of Prisons sent an initial letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs requesting 107 ambulances. Later, the Ministry instructed the department to reduce the budget. After budget cuts, it was reportedly decided to provide 46 ambulances, but the Department of Prisons has yet to receive any.
Sources say letters regarding the request for 46 ambulances are still being exchanged between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. Due to delays from the Finance Ministry, no decision has been made, leaving the issue pending.
Currently, only 14 of the country’s 68 prisons have ambulances. Keraniganj Dhaka Central Jail has two, while Kashimpur-1, Kashimpur-2, High Security, Faridpur, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Chattogram, Comilla, Sylhet, Jessore, Barisal, and Khulna jails each have one. Cox’s Bazar prison previously had one, but it was recently confiscated following a road accident.
Prison officials said inmates suffer from various conditions including kidney disease, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, neurological disorders, gastric problems, and mental illness. Seriously ill prisoners are typically sent from Dhaka Central Jail to specialized hospitals in Dhaka for treatment. Officials stressed the urgent need to increase the number of ambulances for proper care.
Due to the shortage of ambulances, multiple inmates cannot be sent to hospitals simultaneously. Severely ill prisoners are often forced into rickshaws, and many die on the way.
According to Department of Prisons data, from 2020 to February 2025, 1,577 inmates died in hospitals after falling ill in prisons, while 491 died en route to hospitals.
Mohammad Jannatul Farhad, assistant inspector general (Development) of the Department of Prisons, told Dhaka Tribune that 54 prisons have no ambulances. “Inmates often die either on the way from prison or after reaching the hospital. Some prisons require multiple ambulances, but we cannot provide them,” he said.
He noted that multiple ambulances are urgently needed at Dhaka Central Jail, Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur, Jessore, Cox’s Bazar, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet prisons.
Jannatul Farhad added that many inmates suffer from complex illnesses, and some require round-the-clock medical care. The lack of ambulances makes it increasingly difficult to provide proper treatment.
Colonel Mohammad Mostafa Kamal, additional inspector general of Prisons, told Dhaka Tribune that it has been almost four years since a single ambulance was provided. “The ministry has said ambulances must be procured from the revenue budget, but there is no allocation this year. The shortage is causing severe problems in transporting inmates to hospitals. Many die en route.”
