Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh has decided to rename “Bangladesh Jail” as “Correction Services Bangladesh” in a bid to transform prisons into correction-oriented facilities with a stronger focus on rehabilitation, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Md. Motaher Hossain announced in Dhaka on Tuesday.
“The move aims to place greater emphasis on correction and rehabilitation,” Hossain told reporters at the Directorate of Prisons headquarters in Bakshibazar. He said the draft Correction Services Act 2025 has already been finalised and submitted for government approval to modernise prison laws. To address overcrowding, he said two new central prisons and four district jails have been opened, while Dhaka Division has been split into two administrative zones for better coordination. The government has also approved additional manpower, and a demand for 1,500 more staff has been placed. A central prison hospital will also be built in Narayanganj.
Hossain revealed that over 2,700 inmates escaped during the July uprising, with 700 still absconding. “Among the fugitives are nine identified militants and 69 convicts sentenced to death or life imprisonment,” he said, adding that 29 looted firearms remain unrecovered.
Currently, 163 inmates enjoy division facilities, while 28 applications are pending. Hossain admitted that “sometimes, inmates themselves call me directly from prisons,” underscoring the challenges of prison management. He stressed that the prison system is undergoing “significant reforms to balance security requirements with rehabilitation efforts, paving the way for a more modern, correction-oriented institution.”