Bangladesh: Report flags widespread class discrimination inside prisons

Dhaka, June 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bangladesh's prisons have increasingly deteriorated into a deeply discriminatory state mechanism. Within this system, imprisonment for those with wealth and power translates into a “life of pampered luxury" while for ordinary, poor citizens, it amounts to a "living hell".

Although institutional operations across the country’s 72 prisons are carried out under the humane and reformist slogan ‘not a jail, but a correction centre’, the reality on the ground tells a different story, a report has stated.

Citing human rights activists and prison experts, international press agency Pressenza noted that correctional facilities are designed as “controlled, rigorous, and egalitarian spaces of rehabilitation for those who break societal laws". In contrast, Bangladeshi prisons are influenced by “personal connections, political identity, and financial leverage” rather than institutional rules.

“In the recent political landscape, ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election, a nationwide drive titled ‘Operation Devil Hunt Phase 2' was conducted with the joint participation of law enforcement agencies and military personnel. Under this operation, individuals implicated in various cases and criminal activities were arrested daily, with their ultimate destination being the country’s various correctional facilities,” the report detailed.

“Currently, while the official capacity of the 72 prisons in the country stands at 42,887 inmates, the actual prison population has swelled past 82,000—nearly double the structural capacity. Crucially, the burden of this severe overcrowding does not fall equally on everyone. The acute crisis of space and the resulting inhumane conditions are borne entirely by ordinary and impoverished inmates. Meanwhile, affluent prisoners easily secure accommodation in separate, quiet, and comfortable blocks,” it added.

According to the report, investigations reveal that money has become the primary driving force inside Bangladeshi prisons, with inmates spending hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi Taka monthly to improve their living conditions.

“Special meals, private accommodations, premium medical care, and regular communication with the outside world are all readily achievable through financial clout. Wealthy inmates with chronic illnesses even enjoy exclusive privileges, such as keeping insulin in refrigerators. Furthermore, for influential individuals, hospital prison cells or specialised rooms have effectively turned into centers of leisurely living,” it stated.

The report noted that in stark contrast to the privileged, the conditions for ordinary inmates are profoundly “tragic and inhumane". It stated that hundreds of poor and average prisoners lack even a minimal space to sleep and are forced to spend sleepless nights in overcrowded cells.

Criticising the worsening condition of the prison system in Bangladesh, the report said, “Subjecting prisoners to such class discrimination and degrading treatment under the guise of punishment or rehabilitation cannot be the benchmark of a civilised society. If Bangladesh’s prison system is to truly transform into a network of ‘correction centers’, dismantling corruption and the abuse of power to establish equal human dignity for all inmates—regardless of wealth or status—is an urgent necessity.”

Source: IANS