31pc of juvenile delinquents didn't attend school: Study

About 62 percent of some 144 under-aged inmates in six prisons and two correctional homes are between 12 years and less than 16 years and 31 percent of them did not attend the school, revealed a study.
A large number of the inmates came from poor and distressed families and 20.14 percent of them are factory or automobile workshop workers, it added.
The findings of the study on 'Under-aged prison inmates in Bangladesh: A sample situation of the youthful offenders in greater Dhaka' were presented by Retired Police Officers' Welfare Association Bangladesh at Rajarbagh Police Telecom auditorium in the city.
ActionAid Bangladesh supported the study that was conducted on 144 inmates in Dhaka Central Jail and five district jails namely Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Narsingdi and Manikganj and two Unnayan Kendras (correctional centres) during the period from February to April 2008.
At that time, the total number of inmates in prison and correctional centres was 279, the study added.
Presenting the study, Dr M Enamul Hoque, former inspector general of police (IGP) and former member of law commission, said almost 50 percent inmates have been living in the prisons and correctional centres for a period of around three months.
About 23 percent inmates were involved in theft, 18.5 percent in murder, narcotics offences with 13.19 percent and 10.14 percent with possession of illegal arms, he added.
Some 42 percent inmates committed their first offence singly while around 46 percent inmates committed their first offence in a group, he said, adding that habitual theft, extortions, group venture, possessions of illegal arms or explosives, sex perversion, suspect in murder cases were stated to be the first offence by the inmates.
Regarding the progress of the cases, he said no hearing took place in more than 34.31 percent cases and no probation was found to have been granted by the court.
Dr Hoque further said no inmate stated that any probation officer from the department of social service contacted with any of them for their release under the 'Probation of Offenders Act-1964'.
He also said nearly 28.45 percent of the total prisoners had political connections particularly in joining political procession, meeting and picketing during hartal.
The average family size of the inmates is 5.14 percent and occupation of the inmates' fathers mostly is petty business that stands at 23.33 percent, he said, adding that 17 percent of their fathers are rickshaw or van pullers.
He further said nearly 57 percent inmates suffer from skin diseases, particularly scabies and medical attention to the inmates needs to be improved further.
Little recreation, restriction of seeing guardians and long for sports equipment are the main problems facing the inmates, he said, adding that the attitude of the inmates is still found to be remorseful.
DIG (Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said they are earnestly trying to keep the under-aged inmates in a sound environment.
“We never treat them as prisoners rather we try to keep them by showing affection as much as possible,” he said.
Presiding over the occasion, ABMG Kibria, former IGP and former adviser to a caretaker government, said the problems of the under-aged inmates will soon be disappeared as a number of organisations are working on the issue.
“But there are around 4 lakh floating children in the city and we have to think about them,” he said urging the police officers to work with responsibilities.
BNWLA Executive Director advocate Salma Ali said a comprehensive action plan needs to be taken so that the juvenile inmates can get all sorts of facilities, including shelter, medical treatment and psychosocial supports.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner Abdus Salam and Farah Kabir Country Director ActionAid Bangladesh also spoke.