PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurates 'Dhaka Central Jail, Keraniganj'

"A prison should not be only a detain centre, rather we are giving special attention to make a prison a correction centre of the detainees," she said while inaugurating country's most modern prison namely 'Dhaka Central Jail, Keranigonj' at Rajendrapur of South Keranigonj.

"We know that sometimes many tiny thieves come out from the jail becoming a big thief after his association with large fishes in the jail. We should abandon this mentality and we want to create a different environment for them for their correction," she said.

In view of this the Prime Minister laid importance on giving training to the prisoners on different useful trades saying after the training the inmates can produce goods and items for their own use as well as for sale. Given the huge area of the prison, she said, there are immense opportunities of income generating activities in this prison area.

The Prime Minister said there should be a provision in the prison where a detainee would be allowed to earn wages for their work or have access to the profit to be earned from the sale of the goods they produce.

"The money might be deposited in their (detainees) names and they should allow sending a bulk of the money to their home as families suffer most for their arrest. A prisoner may also take the total amount of income at the time of release," she suggested.

"It would immensely help them to engage in an economic activity to start a new life, persuading him/her to not be involved in any criminal activity in future" she said adding, "we should create this opportunity for them."

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, senior secretary of the home ministry Dr Mozammel Haq Khan and Inspector General (Prison) Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin also spoke on the occasion.

On her arrival at the jail complex, a smartly turned out contingent of jail guards gave her armed salute. The Prime Minister unveiled the plaque of the new Dhaka Central Jail, Keranigonj and visited different cells of the prison.

The jail is being constructed at a cost of Taka 406-crore on about 194.41 acres of land. The whole complex will have three jails, two for males and one for females. In addition, there would have living facilities for 500 officials, guards and other employees.

The prime minister today inaugurated first male jail compound of several buildings constructed on 31 acres of land having capacity of 4,590 prisoners with provision of expansion for more 4,000 prisoners.

Construction of another jail for males on 31 acres of land, one jail for females on 11 acres of land and a 200-bed hospital would be completed by next year. A special parameter boundary wall of 18-feet height with 6-feet high electrified cables would surround the prison.

The project eventually has given shape the decision of the Directorate of Prison taken in 1980 for shifting the central jail elsewhere outside the capital to accommodate more prisoners and give them with an environment of more healthy, hygienic and breathing space as well.

At the same time the new prison would send to oblivion the country's long history of the jails of being traditionally in 'red colour' (lal dalan) by wearing a white facet, representing decency, innocence and light, opposite to darkness.

Extending her thanks to the home ministry and directorate of prisons for completion of the construction of the prison, the Prime Minister said the detainees so far lived in a very inhumane condition in the Dhaka Central Jail, which was constructed as a fort of Mughal rulers and later converted to jail during British era.

"We know that the detainees have committed offense. It's necessary to bring back a person from offensive work and for this a social reform is required," the Prime Minister said adding that the reform should begin with the activities to bring change in their mental set up and education is the foremost requisite to this end.

Sheikh Hasina said, "People are sent to jail for committing offense. We have to think about the way to bring back them from the offensive mentality. Some people commit offenses in need, but many others are becoming criminal because of socio-cultural, political and technological changes."

Pointing out her childhood memories with the prison the Prime Minister reminisced the jail life of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was thrown to jail repeatedly by Pakistani junta for his struggle to establish the rights of the people of this country.

"Many Awami League leaders and workers served in jail with Bangabandhu repeatedly. Military dictators kept me under house arrest and in sub-jail several times gratifying my political life," she said adding that four national leaders were brutally killed in the central jail.

Sheikh Hasina said her government is striving to build a developed and prosperous nation suiting to the dignity of an independent country. "Bangladesh was progressing to the economic emancipation of the nation under the leadership of Bangabandhu. But his brutal killing thwart out the advancement for 21 years," she said.

Following the ideology of Bangabandhu, the Prime Minister said the Awami League is making stride to fulfill the basic needs of the people and give them a decent life. "The government has identified the problems which considered as impediment to development and has taken steps to resolve the problems," she said adding that as a result the country is moving forward.

The Prime Minister assured the jail officials and employees of arranging school bus services for their kids and uninterrupted power supply in the areas. She asked the jail authorities to set up solar panel on every building of the prison.

She assured to resolve the problems relating to their service through discussion saying the number of officers in the jail service would be increased. A training institute for the jail keepers would be established In Keranigonj, she said.

The Prime Minister asked the authorities to look mostly to the security system of the jail. She also asked for taking necessary steps to stop secret use of mobile phone. "Rather there should be an arrangement of public land phone to allow the inmates to talk to their families at least one time a month which would help the detainees and family members to exchange their news after a particular time," she said.