Shifting of inmates to new Sylhet jail begins

A total of 2,300 prisoners are being transferred to the newly-constructed Sylhet Central Jail, outside the city, from the 229-year-old jail at Dhopadighir Par.

According to the jail authorities, all the prisoners will be shifted to the new jail in Badaghat area of Sylhet Sadar upazila by tomorrow.

Yesterday morning, the prisoner shifting started amid high security by police, Rab and fire service. Many of the prisoners' relatives were waiting outside the old jail to catch a glimpse of them.

Abdul Jalil, senior jail superintendent of Sylhet Central Jail, said all necessary measures have been taken to transfer the inmates to the new location without any hindrance.

The newly constructed jail was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 1 last year.

With a capacity to hold 2,000 prisoners, the newly constructed jail is 14km away from the city and has been built on 30 acres of land beside the Chengerkhal river.

There are four barracks and a division ward for men and one barrack and a division ward for female inmates. Moreover, there are also high-security and condemn cells inside the new prison.

The old prison was built in 1789 by the then British collector for Assam John Willish on 24.76 acres of land. It was upgraded to Sylhet Central Jail on March 1997 with a capacity of 1,210 prisoners.

Due to the old jail's condition and overflow of prisoners, the Ecnec (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) in 2010 approved a project for the new jail. Its construction works by the Public Works Department started on January 2012 and ended in June last year.