SYLHET, June 23: All the four jails in Sylhet division are over-burdened with under-trial prisoners. A total of 48, 20 inmates are there against the capacity of 2,175 in the 4 jails of the division's 3 district jails at Moulvibaar, Habiganj, Sunamganj and at the Sylhet central jail.
On average, about 150 people are sent to jails in the region everyday while the number of bailed out (or released) people is almost same, jail officials informed. The Sylhet central jail has to accommodate a total of 2518 inmates against the capacity of 1,210.
The worst situation is in the Sunamganj district jail with over 654 against the capacity of 149.
As today, a total of 633 are there in Moulvibazar district jail, which has a capacity of only 316 while the Habiganj district jail has to accommodate about 1015, against the arrangement of 500.
Due to insufficient facilities, often the jail staff face trouble with jail inmates. On 23 May in 2013 the organised inmates swooped on the staff at the Sylhet central Jail. Jail guards got locked in clash with the agitated inmates for rescuing 2 Subeders, whom, they had kept captured for hours to protest against alleged corruption and irregularities. The situation was controlled with emergency measures after hours that night.
However, contacting the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), prisons, Sylhet division Touhidul Islam said Tuesday, the situation was managed and there has been no major trouble at the jail now. He, however, also refuted the allegation of irregularities by the jail staff.
The Sylhet Central Jail was established in 1789 as the central jail for Sylhet and Assam.
Since the age-old establishment is located at the heart of the Sylhet city, the government decided to shift the central jail to city outskirt's Tukerbazar area years ago. Besides, it can't cope with the present situation, the official said adding construction of the new jail at the new site is on and expected to be completed in a year.
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