9 private prison inspectors in Ctg are BNP leaders and activists

In Chattogram Central Jail, 12 private prison inspectors have been appointed. Among the 12 inspectors, 9 are leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliated organizations.

On Thursday (January 16), Dr. Mohammad Ziauddin, the Divisional Commissioner of Chattogram, appointed the 12 prison inspectors.

The appointed individuals are: Aminul Islam, former member of the central executive committee of Jubo Dal; Mojammel Haque, Joint Secretary of the South District Jubo Dal; Nasir Uddin, former Science and Technology Secretary of the dissolved city committee of Jubo Dal; Abdur Razzak, Vice President; Ataullah Samrat, former member of the Central Chhatra Dal; Zafar Ahmed, member of the city BNP; Kamrun Nahar, Joint Secretary of the City Women’s BNP; Sultana Begum, former Joint Secretary; Ujjal Baran Biswas, General Secretary of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Welfare Front of BNP, South District; Zobairul Alam, Coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Chittagong District; Nasser Uddin, Chairman of the Shamsul Haque Foundation; and Syed Abul Bashar from Kotwali Badripatti area.

It has been reported that after the August 5 mass uprising last year, the previous inspectors went into hiding. Following this, efforts were made to fill the vacant positions. Over a hundred individuals, including BNP and its affiliate party members, other political party leaders, journalists, development workers, businesspeople, coordinators, and human rights activists, had applied for these "non-profit" positions.

Sources from the jail have stated that the Divisional Commissioner appoints 12 individuals to this responsibility every two years to oversee the welfare of prisoners. The District Commissioner proposes the names, and the individuals selected are supposed to be educated, well-respected, and involved in public welfare. The duties of private prison inspectors include checking the jail environment, food quality, drug issues, ensuring proper medical care for sick prisoners, preventing excessive punishment, identifying false detentions, guiding the helpless prisoners in pursuing legal cases, and overseeing the management of the prison.

Some of the newly appointed inspectors were contacted by this reporter. However, many of them did not know what the role or duties of a prison inspector entailed. This has raised questions about how these politically appointed individuals will be able to protect the rights of prisoners.

Mohammad Nasir Uddin, former Science and Technology Secretary of the dissolved city Jubo Dal, who was appointed as a prison inspector, stated, "I have no prior experience in this regard. After taking up the new responsibility, I aim to perform my duties with transparency, accountability, and honesty. I will thoroughly understand my duties and responsibilities."

He also mentioned his experience in food supply contracting, saying, "About 20 years ago, I was responsible for food supply within the prison as part of a tender process."

Kamrun Nahar Liza, Joint Secretary of the City Women’s BNP, who was also appointed as a prison inspector, said, "I have been appointed along with 11 others. We will sit together, discuss what needs to be done, and then decide. I have never held this position before, so I have no prior experience. But I have been involved in social work, and I’m sure we will do something good."
Chattogram district coordinator Zobairul Alam Manik stated, "I see this as a challenge. Many people, from ordinary citizens to those in prison, are innocent. I will work for them. I will also work to maintain discipline and the environment within the jail. I will address the issues raised by the media in the past."

Advocate Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury, the Chattogram district secretary of Citizens for Good Governance (Shujan), reminded that in the past, prison inspectors who were politically appointed had ended up being involved in corruption rather than preventing it. He expressed doubts about whether any real change would occur.

He said, "We have seen political appointments in the role of prison inspectors before. There has been no change, only a change in faces. We are uncertain whether the necessary procedural changes will take place."

Advocate AM Zia Habib Ahsan, Secretary-General of the Bangladesh Human Rights Foundation, said, "The role of prison inspector has now become a political position. Those who work on human rights and prisoner welfare were not considered for this role. I thought the anti-discrimination government would appoint a human rights activist or a journalist, so we could learn about the issues and find solutions. This is a very painful matter. If we want to build a new Bangladesh, these issues should be given importance."

Meanwhile, Dr. Mohammad Ziauddin, the Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong, stated, "The District Magistrate decides who will be appointed as private prison inspectors. I just approved the appointments. Only the District Magistrate can explain how the selections were made. However, no statement was obtained from the District Magistrate on this matter."

It is worth noting that before the July uprising, individuals associated with the Awami League, including the Chhatra League, Swaccheshobok League, and Jubo League, held positions as private prison inspectors in Chittagong. They were accused of involvement in prisoner trade, providing privileges to party members, supplying drugs within the prison, and other misconduct.