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INTRODUCTION
Bangladesh's prison administration system falls short when compared to those of western
nations. In Bangladesh, the system for managing the prisons is comparatively ineffective. For far
longer lengths of time, guilty criminals are housed in prison, which is run by the state. A bigger
penal system, which also includes courts, law enforcement, and crime labs, incorporates prisons
as one of its components. In a jail, inmates are physically restrained and "typically" denied a
range of personal liberties. The state may inflict imprisonment as a lawful punishment for the
conduct of a crime. The organization for providing and running prisons is known as the prison
system1.
The current prison management structure and methods were established during the 200 years of
British rule, which ended in 1947. When Pakistan ruled the nation from 1947 to 1947, "no
reforms were made," therefore today's definition of jail is a form of punishment without
education or social rehabilitation.
Government should update the current system and increase the appeal of the prison service to
potential recruits by giving inmates better pay and more respect. Changes should be made to
hiring procedures so that background checks are carried out and that only applicants with solid
social and intellectual backgrounds are admitted. Additionally, written psychological,
sociological, and personality exams must to be given to candidates.

FUNCTIONS OF PRISON SYSTEM

Bangladesh's prisons are governed by legislation from the 19th century. In general, Bangladesh's
current criminal laws and procedures were modified by Pakistan and Bangladesh during the time
of British control. The Indian Penal Code, which was originally published in 1860, the Police
Act of 1861, the Evidence Act of 1872, the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1898, the Criminal
Law Amendment Act of 1908, and the Official Secrets Act of 1911 are among these fundamental
legal texts. The Penal Code, the most significant and comprehensive penal code in the nation,
contains a list of the primary categories of offenses. Section 107 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure and the modified Security of Pakistan Act of 1952 both provide the ordering of
preventive detention. Similar to this, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure forbids the
conduct of public meetings, the carrying of firearms, and any assembly of five or more people
for durations up to two months. Additionally, a magistrate or an official in charge of a police
contingent has the authority to use fire or use force against anyone under the Disturbed Areas
(Special Powers) Ordinance of 19622.
The Official Secrets Act of 1911, as revised in 1923 and 1968, imposes penalties on those
accused of espionage. The Penal Code of 1860, the Prisons Act of 1894, and the Prisoners Act of
1
Fariya, P., 2022. Prison System Of Bangladesh.. [online] Academia.edu. Available at:
<https://www.academia.edu/11653887/Prison_System_Of_Bangladesh> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
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ASSIGNMENT POINT (2022).
Bangladesh's prison system. Retrived from
http://www.assignmentpoint.com/arts/law/prisonsystembangladesh.html.

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1900, as amended, all control the custody and correction of those who have been given jail
sentences. The prison system has grown, although in 1988 it was essentially little different from
later times. The Inspector General of Prisons is the highest person in charge of running the jails,
or the Inspector General of Police if this position is not designated separately. The senior officer
is known as the Director of Prisons at the divisional or police range level; at the district level, he
is known as the Jail Superintendent. The sub-district and village police holding facilities are
located below the district jail level. The largest and safest prison is Dhaka Central Jail, which
also offers more expansive facilities than prisons at lesser levels. Prisons and jails typically have
poor standards for cleanliness and hygiene and are incredibly crowded3.

ORGANOGRAM OF PRISON AUTHORITIES

CHALLENGES ON PRISON AUTHORITIES

3
Hasibul Hossain, 'Challenges Of Prison System In Bangladesh' (Academia.edu, 2022)
<https://www.academia.edu/42648407/Challenges_of_Prison_System_in_Bangladesh> accessed 5
October 2022.

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The criminal justice system in Bangladesh, which is under intense pressure, includes its jails.
Millions of cases are backlogged, hurting the already overcrowded system. There are allegations
of widespread corruption among criminal justice organizations. Additionally, there is a definite
emphasis on punitive justice as opposed to restorative justice, and imprisonment is largely
perceived as a tool to exact revenge rather than as a chance to improve the views of inmates
toward the law and society.
 Overcrowding: Prison overcrowding has significantly gotten worse recently. There are
80 jails in the nation, although 16 of them are not yet operational. And even though the
remaining 64 jails have an official capacity of 21,581 inmates, there are actually 45,444
inmates inside. Only 13,078 (less than one-third) of these are convicts who have been
found guilty, with 31,020 being under trial, or being held before being found guilty 4. As a
result, the enormous number of inmates awaiting trial is mostly to blame for the
overcrowding in jails.
 Delay in Judicial Proceedings: Criminal cases are processed slowly primarily because
of the following factors: (a) a backlog of cases where bail is not granted; (b) witnesses
who fail to appear on the hearing date; (c) needless adjournments; (d) delays in
concluding investigations; (e) a severe lack of judges and magistrates; (f) a propensity for
attorneys and parties to postpone trials; and (g) judges and magistrates who are not
vigilant (as agreed by learned judges, magistrates and eminent lawyers).
 Unhygienic Living Conditions of prisoners:
 Accommodation- Insanitary living conditions are present for convicts in jails.
This is a result of the prisons being overcrowded with people who are "under
trials." In prisons, there are two different types of lodging: lodging in cells and
lodging in dormitories or associate wards. Cell housing - This is where classified
inmates are housed, where jail sentences are carried out, where confessed
criminals are segregated, and where criminals who have been given the death
penalty are housed.
 Association wards- For all inmates, including seasoned criminals, infrequent
offenders, and juvenile offenders. In single dorms that may hold 100 to 150
inmates, inmates are expected to sleep together. Regular offenders and young
offenders are influenced by experienced criminals to create gangs inside jails,
usually with the intention of committing significant crimes once they are freed.
Jails have so evolved into "storehouses" where offenders are trained. Furthermore,
the distribution of floor area reveals the subpar circumstances in which convicts
are housed.
 Prisoners’ food- Diets for prisoners come in two varieties. The Institute of Public
Health Nutrition deems the 2,800–3,000 calories that regular convicts consume
daily as satisfactory. Nevertheless, so-called "classified prisoners" are given more
food. The existence of this elite prison population infuriates the regular prisoners.
Furthermore, it is intolerable that the inmates must take their meals while sitting
on the ground outside in the open, rain or shine.
4
https//www.dailystar.com/prisoners-bangladesh/56

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 Outdated prison Laws and Rules: It is observed that jails continue to abide by
antiquated British colonial laws that were drafted in the 19th century. These outdated
statutes stated that the primary goal of the penal system was to confine and safely house
inmates using restraint and punitive tactics. The jail code hasn't undergone any significant
change, and the crucial suggestions made by the Jail Reform Commission haven't been
carried out either. To end violations of inmates' human security and legal rights, as
protected by Article 44 of the Constitution, this punishment system must be completely
overhauled.
 Recruitment and Training Procedures of Prison Officers and Staff: Under the current
laws and regulations, the recruitment and training processes for prison officers and
personnel are insufficient for meeting the demands of inmates. Correction officials and
prison guards are involved in advising, teaching, and educating criminals as part of the
attempt to aid the reform and eventual reintegration of inmates into society, hence prison
services in most developed nations are considered to be fairly sophisticated.
Contrastingly, the jail system in Bangladesh is designed to contain and punish inmates
rather than to promote their reform. As a result, neither prison personnel nor cops are
hired or trained with the necessary abilities to promote rehabilitation.
 Lack of Monitoring of Prisons: The rights of inmates may be harmed by irregular
monitoring visits. It is also obvious that complaints made by inmates against prison staff
to monitoring officials and visitors frequently result in mistreatment "thereby making the
conditions inside the jail even worse. Therefore" few convicts currently dare to complain
to inspecting officers .
 Lack of Welfare Measures and Reformative Programmes: Welfare programs are
utterly insufficient for the benefit of prisoners. There are no professional social welfare
officers in prisons to look over the prison's physical conditions, including the food,
clothing, medical care, cleanliness, and water supply. To meet the psychological needs of
convicts, there are no professional social workers or psychologists5.
 Inadequate Protection of Women and Child Prisons: Women who are more
vulnerable to physical and sexual assault should not be housed among male convicts
without access to separate quarters. There have been a number of violations in the past,
such the one that happened in the 1980s at Khulna Jail. Additionally, it is possible for
male prisoners to misuse the custom of preparing and serving food to female inmates.
 Inadequate Vocational Training Facilities: Barbershop training, laundry work,
woodworking, metalworking, carpet and linen weaving, and wool knitting are some of
the current vocational training programs offered in prisons. These programs, however, are
not adequately developed to accommodate all prisoner classifications. Prisoners are
allocated activities by the jailer without taking their skills into account, when this should
be done under the superintendent's supervision to lower the chance of corruption.
 Inadequate Medical Facilities: The Directorate of Prisons does not have any medical
personnel to provide healthcare in prisoners. Since medical staff are now "borrowed"
from the Ministry of Health, they frequently disregard orders from jail officers to

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Sonja Snacken, 'Human Dignity And Prisoners’ Rights In Europe' (2021) 50 Crime and Justice.

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guarantee the smooth operation of prison hospitals, which has a major negative impact on
providing sick prisoners with sufficient medical care.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO OVERCOME THESE

CHALLENGES
Despite these problems, the Bangladeshi government has demonstrated a commitment to
enhancing the conditions within jails and taking into account a comprehensive overhaul of the
criminal justice system. The German government is assisting the Ministry of Home Affairs and
the Prison Directorate through the Deutsche Africa, specifically Malawi and Sierra Leone, has
successfully designed and executed a strategy to alleviate congestion that is appropriate for the
Bangladeshi setting.
Here are a number of ideas meant to improve the miserable state of Bangladesh's jails.
 It is necessary to update antiquated prison laws and practices in order to implement a
more sophisticated and humane system.
 A separate prison for female inmates should be located close to the larger central and
district jails.
 To reduce human security abuses, official complaint procedures for prisoners are advised.
 To give the jail administration checks and balances, the visitation system needs to be
enhanced.
 It is important to provide in fracture and other facilities so that all fundamental needs can
be met.
 To relieve the overcrowding in the jails, more prisons should be built with contemporary
amenities.
 The severe corruption of the jail personnel and officials needs to be addressed with
firmness.
 The jail personnel need to behave differently and respect the inmates.
 A clean and healthy environment must be guaranteed.
 The physically disabled and young ladies should receive special consideration.
The government has started a few projects to improve the wellbeing of the prisoners and help
them reintegrate into society. Hopefully, it will be seen by everyone as a moral commitment to
raising human dignity.

CONCLUSION
The amenities are far more elaborate in prisons because some inmates may spend the rest of their
lives there. Church facilities, exercise areas, common places for eating and socializing in lower
security sections, and an educational facility with classrooms, libraries, and labs for working and
studying are all available in prisons. Because prisoners are typically expected to share cells with

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other prisoners and because most jail sentences are lengthy, a complex social and political
structure develops among the inmates. In order to prevent escapes or potential violence across
prison wings, the prison facility as a whole is generally very securely protected, even though not
all of the offenders within are aggressive.