No Aynabaji in real life, please

As if we needed any more proof of corruption permeating every sector in our country, news has emerged about fake inmates in Chattogram serving time on behalf of other individuals in exchange for money. Many will remember the 2016 movie Aynabaji (Ayna's Shenanigans) where the eponymous character impersonates actual convicts to serve their sentences. That it's happening in real life is not a total surprise, but it does raise serious concerns about the integrity of our criminal justice system.

One example cited in our report is of Senuwara Begum of Cox's Bazar who, after surrendering to a court and being imprisoned in connection with a narcotics case, was found to be someone entirely different when her fingerprints were matched with the National ID (NID) server. She was actually Monira Begum of Teknaf serving Senuwara's time for financial gain. Another example cited by Prothom Alo details the story of Mojibur Rahman, a tea vendor from Chattogram's Chandgaon area, who was serving time on behalf of Nasir Ahmed, the actual convict. Mojibur, impersonating Nasir, surrendered before a court in a case over cheque fraud and was sent to prison, only to be exposed by the NID check after a short while.

Thus, between January and October this year, some 13 impersonators were reportedly identified through the newly installed fingerprint verification process at the central prison in Chattogram. All of them apparently accepted jail terms willingly, in exchange for amounts ranging from Tk 3,000 to Tk 15,000. Among the cases, there were five related to narcotics, three related to robberies, and two cases of cheque fraud. That anyone can engineer such a mix-up, and for such a small sum of money, is deeply troubling. It not only shows how vulnerable our prison and judicial systems are to exploitations—of which there have been evidently many—but also underscores the vulnerabilities of poverty making people do desperate things. When exposed, they are the ones left to deal with the aftermath.

Jail officials say these practices are being enabled by a group of dishonest lawyers. But court and jail authorities cannot shirk their responsibility either. They are primarily responsible for ensuring that the right individuals receive punishment. Chattogram serves as a caution for our entire prison system—which is already going through many problems thanks to lack of space, resources and internal discipline—and the authorities must use the occasion to review and overhaul it properly. The integrity of our criminal justice system must not be allowed to be compromised.