Emdadur Rahman Chowdhury Zia, Sylhet

This is good news for the people of Sylhet city. A long-standing desire has been fulfilled.

Although efforts have been made for a long time to alleviate their suffering considering the humanitarian aspect, it is now being reflected. In the past, the urgent circulars of the Metropolitan Jail were kept under various pretexts and in legal quagmires.

The suffering of the prisoners was not given importance. In a word, it can be said that the files of the suffering of the prisoners of the Metropolitan area were kept under red tape which has been given importance now.

After a long wait, the prisoners in the Sylhet City Jail and their relatives are being released from suffering.

The Sylhet Metropolitan Jail has been started in the old jail. Due to the prison being far away in Sylhet, relatives of prisoners in the metropolitan area, especially the elderly, could not go to see their relatives at a glance. It is not possible. Not only that, but the cost of transporting the accused has also reduced for the police with the opening of the Sylhet Metropolitan Jail. On the one hand, everyone knows the place as the old prison, on the other hand, the Jail Road area is in a middle location of the metropolis which is city-centered. This has benefited the public. With the slogan "Keep it safe, show the way to light", the prisoners of the metropolitan area were transferred from the Sylhet Central Jail to the Sylhet Metropolitan Jail at the end of February. Although the activities of this prison were supposed to start eight years ago, the file did not see the light of day at that time.

The authorities took this decision after circulating letters from the concerned during the tenure of the current government. Although it is a 236-year-old prison in the Bandar Bazar area of the city, after the prison was shifted to the Badaghat area in 2009, everyone's eyes fell on the establishment. Some were saying that they would build a "Bangabandhu Park", while others were saying that they would build a commercial building. But that dream has turned into a nightmare.

Md. Chhagir Mia, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons of Sylhet Division said, the decision to open Sylhet Central Jail-2 for prisoners of the metropolitan area was taken by the Security Services Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 9, 2018 but for unknown reasons, the process was stopped. After the fall of the government, a new initiative was taken on December 18 last year. In that context, on February 4, the Prisons Department issued an order to start "Sylhet Central Prison-2".

However, the activities of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police started in 2009 after the division of Sylhet district. Earlier, during the BNP government, Sylhet Division was formed with four districts in 1995. On the other hand, the Sylhet City Corporation was formed in 2002. And the Sylhet Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court was established in 2013. Even then, the prisoners of the metropolitan area did not get the facilities.

According to prison sources, in 1789, the then British ruler's representative, Sylhet Collector John Wilson, built the Sylhet Prison on an area of 24.67 acres on the banks of the Dhopa Dighi in Sylhet city. It cost one lakh rupees at that time.

According to the relevant sources, there are four stages in the case of prisoners. First, the role of the police in the case or arrest of the accused, secondly, the role of the lawyer and the court police, thirdly, the role of the judge and finally, the role of the jail police when someone is sent to jail. This last step was discrimination for the metropolitan prisoners.

Finally, on February 23, their suffering was eliminated from that discrimination. From this day on, the prisoners of the metropolitan area no longer have to go to Badaghat in the suburbs. They are being brought to the court from the newly opened Sylhet Central Jail-2. In the meantime, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Md. Chhagir Mia has instructed the Senior Jail Superintendent of Sylhet Central Jail to take all such measures.

In the letter dated 16 February, Memorandum No. 58.04.9100.066.01.001.2025-558 signed by Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, Sylhet Division, Sylhet Md. Chhagir Mia, the matter of separation of Sylhet Metropolitan Jail was confirmed as per the circular issued to the concerned authorities regarding the division of prisoners into Sylhet Central Jail 1 and 2 as per the notification of new manpower. A separate memorandum No. 58.04.9100.066.01.001.2024-2229 signed by Inspector General of Prisons Md. Chhagir Mia, details can be confirmed regarding the separation of city prisons into Metropolitan Jail and District Jail.

Sources say that currently 69 prisons are operating in Bangladesh. In these cases, the total capacity of the prisons is around 43,000. On average, 75.85 prisoners are detained in Bangladesh's prisons. If there is political unrest in the country, the number of closures approaches one lakh. Where the pressure of prisoners is high, there is unethical lobbying and irregularities. Considering the security aspect, structural development is very important in prisons with a large number of prisoners.

Meanwhile, since there is less prisoner than the holding capacity, there is no need to open a second prison right now, but since the pressure of prisoners is high in the metropolitan area, the metropolitan prison has become very urgent. Since the pressure of prisoners is high in the Chittagong district of the country, the authorities need 3 prisons there, namely North Chittagong Prison, South Chittagong Prison and Metropolitan Prison.

According to the government's instructions, the analysis of the prison authorities and the actual review of the cases of prisoners in the metropolitan area shows that there are two types of prisons in the metropolitan prisons.