Drug den in Dhaka jail!

NOTHING beats the blatant violation of jail rules than what an investigative report in this paper yesterday brought to light. This can make minced meat of punitive justice. From the shocking details of the booming drug trade, we find that about two-thirds of the total number of prisoners are on trial and so they have to appear before the court regularly. This provides them a link to the outside, let alone the visitors who can also be purveyors of fancied contrabands. Whilst outside of the jail their exposure helps them acquire drugs and goodies including food and money under relaxed, or shall we say abetted, watch of prison guards, police escorts and the cops at the court premises.
Dhaka Central Jail is supposed to be the prime housing, preventive and correctional institution for criminals. But it has more under-trial prisoners than convicts which makes it a hell house of criminal contacts and bad company keeping.
It is ludicrous that the jail authorities so late in the day are planning to send a proposal to the home ministry for installing luggage and body scanners. The laidback attitude should be shunned; otherwise it could smack of being incriminating!
Two steps need to be taken with utmost urgency: One, thoroughly investigate the scandals to detect the loopholes in the system and devise ways to plug them; and two, carry out the long pending task of reforming the jail system without which no improvement in the situation is possible.