During the July Uprising, more than 2,700 prisoners had escaped, among whom, more than 700 prisoners are still at large, stated the Jail Inspector General, Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain.
The official said that among the absconding prisoners, nine are militants. Additionally, 69 are convicts sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
On Tuesday afternoon, at a press conference held at the headquarters of the Department of Prisons in Bakshibazar, Dhaka, Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain said this in response to a journalist’s question, reports Prothom Alo.
The jail inspector general further said that among the weapons looted at that time, 29 weapons have not yet been recovered. Law enforcement agencies are working to recover the weapons and arrest the absconding prisoners.
Leaders of the BNP have alleged that the party’s Chairperson, Khaleda Zia, faced inhumane treatment while in prison. Those involved in this treatment should be brought under the law and tried.
In response to a journalist’s question at the press conference about what the prison authorities think regarding this matter, the Jail inspector general said he has seen such news in various media. However, no complaint regarding Khaleda Zia has been submitted to them so far. If a complaint is received, they will investigate the matter.
In response to a question about how many political prisoners and VIP prisoners are currently in prison, the jail inspector general said that there are no political prisoners in their records, because no one has been brought to prison under any political case. Those who are in prison are all there as regular prisoners, and there is no term for VIP prisoners.
The jail inspector general said that currently, 163 prisoners in prison have received division facilities. Another 28 prisoners have applied for division, but they have not been approved.
