Even jail stay not free; some prisoners forced to pay for ‘better services’
Arrested for marijuana possession, rickshaw puller Abdul Kuddus landed in Dhaka Central Jail in October 2020.
While he was in quarantine for the first 14 days and in "poor" living condition, some of the prisoners told him his life in jail would be "much better" if he paid them Tk 2,500. They settled for Tk 700 after Abdul informed them what he does for a living.
The money was paid, and Abdul was sent to a ward on the third floor of the jail's "Rupsha" building. After that, he had to pay the ward's in-charge Tk 500 and the food supplier Tk 100 every month for more than a year before he was freed late last year. The money, sent by his wife, a domestic help, made its way inside the prison with the help of some jail guards.
"Whoever pays such money gets better treatment inside. They get slightly better food, spots to sleep and relatively cleaner washrooms," Abdul told The Daily Star a couple of days ago. "Those who can't pay, keep languishing in the severely cramped conditions of the jail. Their food is bad, and they hardly have enough space to sleep."
The situation is more or less similar in other prisons, The Daily Star has learnt after talking to at least a dozen people who have got out of the prisons recently.
There is a nexus between some prisoners and prison guards in each jail and it is responsible for such irregularities, they said, adding that the nexus takes money from inmates, assuring them of better treatment in jail.
Sources at the Department of Prisons said the 68 jails across the country can accommodate 42,538 inmates in total, but there were 83,626 prisoners as of February 24.
As per the jail code, each inmate should get at least 36sqft of space for themselves. But there is one jail -- in Cox's Bazar – which accommodates inmates six times its capacity, the sources said.
A jail ward is usually around 30-feet long and 20-feet wide. Half that space is designated for 10 prisoners who bribe the nexus while the other half is shared by around 30 prisoners who don't, said a man who was released recently.
"When we couldn't pay them any money, we were forced to sleep in front of the toilet," the man also said, adding that he started paying Tk 400 monthly only to get some "decent" space to sleep.
Those failing to bribe the nexus are sometimes not allowed to use the washrooms when needed. At times, some are forced to give foot massage to convicts and the wards in-charge, several inmates said.
All prisoners get inadequate and low-quality food. The quality dips when they don't pay the bribe, they also said.
"You will have to pay Tk 200 if you want to have a proper dinner or lunch with fish or meat," said an inmate.
Jail officials said they give Khichuri or bread with vegetables or sweets in the morning; rice, lentils and vegetables for lunch; and rice, fish or meat and lentil for dinner.
For comments, The Daily Star tried to reach IG Prisons Brig Gen ASM Anisul Haque over phone repeatedly over the last two weeks. He neither responded to the phone calls nor texted back.
These correspondents went to his office, but he refused to talk on the matter.
Additional IG prisons Col Abrar Hossain and DIG Dhaka Division Touhidul Islam also did not receive phone calls from The Daily Star.
JAIL SITUATION
The Cox's Bazar district jail is among the most congested prisons in the country, accommodating at least 4,508 inmates against its capacity of 830, as of February 27.
Forty inmates were using one washroom. Inmates also don't have enough water to bathe properly.
As his attention was drawn to the matter, Nesar Alam, superintendent of the jail, said they have taken steps to install two pumps which will supply 10,000 litres of water to the jail every hour. "We are making the arrangements so that prisoners can take a bath twice or even thrice a day. It's because they become exhausted from staying in the crowded conditions for a long time."
Chattogram Central Jail had 7,305 inmates against its capacity of 1,885, said sources at the Department of Prisons.
AKM Fazlul Hoque, deputy inspector general (DIG) of Chattogram division, said they have some limitations, but they were trying their best to ensure better facilities for inmates.
Similar conditions were found in Chapainawabganj and Natore jails – which were accommodating 1,011 and 1,012 inmates against their capacity of 175 and 200 respectively.
Superintendent Abul Kalam Azad said the number of inmates at Sherpur district jail was four times its capacity to accommodate 100.
As many as 10,174 inmates were in the Dhaka Central Jail. It is almost double its capacity,
Asked about the different irregularities there, Senior Jail Superintendent Subhash Chandra Ghosh admitted they have some "inadequacies". He said there might have been some "bad people", including staffers, inside the jail.
"But we have a strong vigilance, and if anyone is found doing anything illegal, stern action will be taken against them," he said.
Contacted on February 27, Sayed Belal Hossain, additional secretary (jail wing) of the home ministry, said they have already taken multiple projects to increase the jails' capacity. New buildings have been built in a number of jails in districts.
Sources at those prisons, however, said only those paying the bribes were being allowed to stay in the new buildings.
[Our correspondents in Chattogram, Rajshahi, and Mymensingh contributed to this report.]
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