IG prisons for park, museum at old Dhaka jail premises

IG Prisons Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin's comments came on Wednesday as Jagannath University students continue demonstrations demanding the jail premises be turned into their residential hall. He told reporters, replying to a question, that the jail had been shifted “for certain purpose.” Last month, the jail was relocated to Keraniganj from Old Dhaka. Shifting the jail has eased congestion in the Old Dhaka area to some extent. Brig Gen Iftekhar said the relocation had cost the government about Tk400 crore. “If the prison is turned into a residential hall, the area will become cramped as it was and all our efforts would be lost for nothing,” the IG Prisons added. “Setting up a park and museum there would be best for the people. We are working to this end,” he said. Replying to another question, he said the designs of the planned establishments would be selected through an open competition and that they were waiting for the prime minister's permission to publish advertisement in newspapers. He said the prime minister has wished to visit the jail before the planned makeover. “She will give us suggestions about which parts should be and should not be changed,” he added. Asked about possibilities of turning the jail into a residential hall, he said: “The government will decide.”