Over 700 escaped prisoners, including militants and death row convicts, still at large

Over 700 prisoners, including death row convicts and militants who escaped from different jails during the recent mass uprising, remain at large.
More than 2,200 prisoners escaped on and after August 5, and around 1,500 have so far been rearrested, said Brigadier General Syed Mohammad Motaher Hossain, Inspector General of Prisons, during a press briefing at Prisons Headquarters today.
The escaped prisoners include 70 militants, death row convicts, and individuals accused in sensational cases, he said.
Efforts to recapture them are underway, he added.
Seventeen out of 69 prisons have been identified as being at risk. These prisons are very old, with vulnerable infrastructure, he said in response to a query.
The government is aware of this issue, and the process of rebuilding some of these prisons is already underway, he added.
In response to another query, the IG Prisons said that 174 prisoners linked to militant outfits, including JMB, and 11 top criminals have been released on bail since August 5.
“The matter of release is entirely under the jurisdiction of the court,” he said.
The IG Prisons said they have implemented a series of reforms aimed at improving conditions for inmates, including providing better meals, medical services, and ensuring security in the prisons.
“Meals for prisoners now include higher protein levels to ensure better nutrition,” he added.
High-risk prisoners are kept in specialised cells equipped with mobile phone jammers. Officials search those cells regularly, he said, adding that CCTV cameras have been installed in some cells to monitor illegal activities.
The prison authorities are going to deploy dog squads in some prisons to prevent the entry of drugs, he added.
The prisons chief said they are going to change their logo, as it contains a boat symbol, following demands from different quarters and the general public.
Responding to a query about the attack on a former lawmaker inmate at BSMMU, the IG Prisons said the incident occurred due to security lapses. However, there were prison guards present, and due to their intervention, the incident did not escalate further.
“We have taken an important initiative to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. We are planning for a Central Prisons Hospital. If it is built, prisoners will be treated there, and we will not need to send them to government hospitals,” he said.
Additional IG Prisons Colonel Mohammad Mustafa Kamal, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Monir Ahmed, Assistant Inspector General of Prisons (Development) Jannat-ul-Forhad, and AIG Prisons (Admin) Abu Taleb were among those present at the briefing.