No room for top graft suspects
Incarcerated top graft suspects and other VIP prisoners were excluded from Victory Day programmes inside jails yesterday.
As part of the Victory Day celebrations, the jail authorities arranged cultural and sports programmes in the prisons, but the VIP prisoners were excluded from those considering their influence on the general population of the prisons due to their political career.
There are over 150 VIPs in different jails now.
Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddique said, " At least 25 VIP prisoners are in Dhaka Central Jail."
He said, "We excluded them from the programmes to avert any untoward incident. They, however, were served special food."
Inspector General (IG Prisons) Brig Gen Zakir Hassan told The Daily Star, "The VIP prisoners were excluded from the programmes due to their political and other types of influence."
Meanwhile, 329 convicts were freed from 67 jails across the country through a presidential pardon on the occasions of Victory Day and upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
Earlier, the authorities of 67 jails across the country provided the government with a list of at least 550 convicts, referring them for presidential pardon.
As part of the celebration yesterday, the authorities of Dhaka Central Jail gave a reception to 30 convicted freedom fighters. Dhaka Central Jail was the only prison to arrange such a reception.
The IG (Prisons) said for the first time in the history of the country's prisons such a reception was given to convicted freedom fighters.
Sources said during the reception, every convicted freedom fighter was awarded with Tk 500 and a special opportunity to meet their relatives.
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