As many as 131 very important persons (VIPs) have been arrested in different cases filed on various charges, including murders, so far after the fall of the Awami League government due to the student-people uprising. Of them, 108 have been enjoying division in 15 prisons.
According to sources at the Department of Prisons, 108 VIPs were given division as of 7 January. Among them, 29 are former ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers; 22 are former MPs; 44 are government officials and 13 are from other professions. Twenty three VIPs are yet to receive division facilities.
Section 617 of the Bangladesh Jail Code states (1) convicted prisoners will be eligible for Division I, irrespective of their nationality, if- (i) they are non-habitual prisoners of good character; (ii) they by social status, education and habit of life have been accustomed to a superior mode of living; and (iii) they have not been convicted of – (a) offences involving elements of cruelty, moral degradation or personal greed; (corruption) and terrorism; (b) serious or premeditated violence; (c) serious offences against property; (d) offences relating to the possession of explosives, firearms and other dangerous weapons with the object of committing an offence or of enabling an offence to be committed; (e) abetment or incitement of offences falling within these sub-clauses.
Section 617(2) of the Jail Code states prisoners, who by social status, education and habit of life are accustomed to a superior mode of living, will be eligible for Division II irrespective of their nationality.
Jail supervisor Md Forman Alo told Prothom Alo that prisoners are granted division I and division II privileges upon the approval of the courts or the district magistrates. Prisoners with division are allocated single or shared cells equipped with beds, mattresses and bed sheets, a chair and a table.
He further said such prisoners use separate restrooms and receive a copy of daily Bengali and English newspapers. Prison cells might have television upon the approval of the government. Foods are cooked separately. Prisoners might choose foods of their liking within the stipulated allocation. Relatives can meet prisoners once in 15 days or in a month. A prisoner enjoying division gets the supervising responsibility of another prisoner.
The VIPs currently enjoying division include Salman F Rahman, former private industry and investment adviser to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and former energy adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former minister Anisul Huq, former minister Lt. Col. (retd.) Muhammad Faruk Khan, Bangladesh Workers Party president and former minister Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president and former minister Hasanul Haque Inu and former ministers Dipu Moni, Shajahan Khan, Golam Dastagir Gazi, Tipu Munshi, Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Amir Hossain Amu, Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, Md Nurul Islam Sujan, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Asaduzzaman Noor, Quamrul Islam, Sadhan Chandra Majumder, Imran Ahmed, Captain (retd) AB Tajul Islam and Ramesh Chandra Sen.
Besides, there are former mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation Atiqul Islam, former state ministers Zunaid Ahmed, Farhad Hossain, Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, Mahbub Ali, Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Zakir Hossain and Colonel (retd) Zahid Faruk Shamim and former deputy ministers Abdullah Al Islam alias Jacob and Arif Khan Joy.
Former deputy speaker Shamsul Hoque, former minister Abdus Shahid, former chief whip ASM Feroz, former lawmakers Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, Shahjahan Omar, Narayan Chandra Chanda, Abdus Salam Murshedy, Syed Sayedul Haque Suman and Dilip Kumar Agarwala, among others, are also enjoying the division facilities.
The government officials who were granted division include Justice AHM Mohammad Shamsuddin Choudhury (Manik), National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) Director General Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan, Bangladesh Navy’s Rear Admiral (retd) M Sohail, former Prime Minister’s adviser and former chief secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, chief secretaries to ousted prime minister Najibur Rahman and Abul Kalam Azad, former senior secretaries Mustafa Kamal Uddin, Helaluddin Ahmed, Mohibul Haque, Aminul Islam Khan and Shah Kamal.
Former secretaries Mezbah Uddin, Jahangir Alam, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, former additional attorney general Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury, former IGPs Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and AKM Shahidul Haque, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Mia, former director general of Bangladesh Data Center Tarique M Barkatullah, additional deputy inspector general Mashiur Rahman, former deputy managing director (DMD) of Sonali Bank Mainul Haque, general manager of Basic Bank Md Ali Chowdhury were also enjoying division.
The division was also awarded to former DMP deputy commissioner Md Jasim Uddin Molla, police officer Md Rafiqul Islam, superintendent of police Abdullahel Kafi, Rapid Action Battalion additional SP Md Alep Uddin, former Jatrabari police station officer-in-charge (OC) Md Abul Hasan, and former Gulshan police station inspector Md Mazharul Islam.
23 VIPs without division
Twenty-two former lawmakers, who are currently in various prisons across the country, appealed to the court for division but did not get the facilities as of 7 January.
They are Kazi Zafar Ullah, Haji Mohammad Selim, Tanvir Imam, Solaiman Mohammad Selim, Golam Kibria, Abu Reza Muhammad Nezamuddin Nadwi, Kamrul Ashraf Khan, Abdur Rouf, Raghebul Ahsan, Abdus Sobhan Mia (Golap), Ahmed Hossain, Shahe Alam, Sadeq Khan, Selim Altaf George, Masuda Siddique Rozy, Mahabub Ara Begum Gini, Abdur Rahman Bodi, Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed, Ali Azam Mukul, ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, MA Latif, Jannat Ara Henry and Rashiduzzaman Morol.
Prisons department assistant inspector general (development and media) Jannat-Ul-Farhad told Prothom Alo that all the prisoners with division facility enjoy all kinds of privileges as per the jail code. Twenty three VIP prisoners appealed to the court for division but the court granted no permission yet. That is why they are staying with regular prisoners, he added.
prothom alo
