All The inmates of the Dhaka Central Jail have been moved to the new prison facility at Rajendrapur in Keraniganj.
Six vans carrying the last batch of 184 prisoners entered the new jail at 9:50pm on Friday, ending the 200-year old journey of the jail at Nazimuddin Road in Lalbagh.
Dhaka Central Jail Senior Superintendent Mohammad Jahangir Kabir told bdnews24.com that all 6,511 inmates were transferred throughout the day.
“The shifting was supposed to take two days. But we could do it within a day because of the fast-paced work,” he said.
Deputy Inspector General of Prisons AKM Fazlul Haque said the top prison officials welcomed the inmates to the new jail with flowers.
After the shifting started earlier in the morning, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Iftekhar Uddin told a news conference that 50 inmates working as cook were moved on Thursday to prepare Friday’s meals.
“The inmates seem to be cheerful after getting open places at the new jail in Keraniganj,” he said.
He also said no establishments like tea shops that surrounded the old jail will be allowed around the new one.
The vans carrying the prisoners moved under tight security, escorted by police and RAB, accompanied by fire trucks and ambulances.
Prison officials said over 2,500 law enforcers had been deployed to provide security during the challenging transfer operation.
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Dhaka Central Jail, Keraniganj
>> Location: Rajendrapur of Tegharia Union >> Cost: Tk 4.06 billion >> Area: 31 acres >> Capacity: 4,590 inmates >> Start of construction: 2007 |
The new prison at Rajendrapur is located 12 kilometres away from the old one which was built in 1788.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Apr 10 inaugurated the new facility that can house 4,500 inmates.
Prison authorities say the Dhaka Central Jail housed nearly 8,000 prisoners.
The women prisoners had earlier been shifted to the Kashimpur jail.
The plan to build a new prison was first mooted in the 1980s but land acquisition for it began only in 2006.
The project work began in September the following year at an estimated cost of a little over Tk 4 billion.
Unlike prisons of the British era, the walls of the Keraniganj jail are not sombre brick-red. The buildings are more spacious and security arrangements modern.
The on-trial inmates will be housed in six six-storey buildings, each floor having 40 cells, and the convicts in two similar structures. Four four-storey buildings will house hardened criminals as well as militants and terrorists.
There are 16 special cells for VIP prisoners.
An 18-foot high wall encircles the prison complex, while each building inside has its own boundary wall, separating it from the rest.
Source: Bd news24
