Threats send prisons on high alert nationwide
The prison authority has beefed up security across the country following a threats from some unidentified miscreants over phone and letters of "snatching away militant inmates" from jails.
Following the threat, Inspector General (IG) of Prisons Brig Gen AKM Mustafa Kamal Pasha in a letter on Sunday instructed all prisons in the country to remain on high alert.
The prison chief also gave directions to form a special task force and keep a close watch on the movement of all inmates, specially militants, IS, top criminals and others accused of sensitive cases like those of the Border Guard Bangladesh.
Confirming the development, Colonel Md Abrar Hossain, additional inspector general of prisons, told The Daily Star yesterday that some miscreants have sent a letter and called over phone in Lalmonirhat district and threatened to snatch away militant inmates from jail.
"As the prison is a sensitive place, we have already beefed up security measures soon after we received the threat. We have also asked to form a special tasks force in every prison to deal such emergency situations," he said.
The tasks forces will brief the prisons inmates regarding the necessary steps, he added.
According to sources, IG prison AKM Mustafa Kamal Pasha in the letter mentioned that the main responsibility of the officers and employees of all prisons is to be strict in any accident, including the escape of prisoner, by thwarting the misdeeds of miscreants. But, there has been evidence of lax security recently witnessed in some prisons, read the letter.
The prison chief further asked the officials to remain alert and issued an 18-point instruction to ensure security of all prisons.
The instructions include the formation of a striking force consisting of a deputy jailer, a chief jail guard and five jail guards in each jail to be ready to prevent any possible attack.
At the outer gate of the jail, prisons guards were instructed to wear bullet proof jackets and helmets and to use metal detectors to check visitors.
The IG also instructed to use armed sentries and ensure security of weapons and arsenals.
He further requested for necessary exercises to be organised so that arms and ammunition can be procured quickly from the prison arsenal at any required moment.
The boundary walls around prisons should be secured and the alarm systems should be checked and prepared. In prisons where militants are being kept as inmates, the police authority should be informed about their incidents and the jail authority have been asked to maintain constant contact with law enforcers, read the letter.
Earlier in 2014, miscreants snatched three top JMB militants from police at Trishal on their way to a Mymensingh court. Of the three convicts, Salauddin Ahmed alias Salehin is still absconding and is believed to be hiding somewhere in India.
Almost five hours into the incident, another convict Rakib Hasan Russell alias Hafez Mahmud was captured in Tangail. He was killed in a "shootout" with law enforcers in Mirzapur upazila, police claimed.
Another accused Zahidul Islam alias "Boma" was arrested in 2018.
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