At least six prisoners were killed and 19 others including, guards, injured in a clash between two groups of inmates in Jamalpur District Jail on Thursday afternoon and during protest staged by inmates of Chattogram Central Jail on Friday afternoon.
Our Jamalpur Correspondent reports six prisoners were killed and eight including, district jailer, were injured in a clash between two groups of inmates in Jamalpur District Jail on Thursday afternoon.
The deceased were Arman, Raihan, Shyamal, Fazle Rabbi Babu, Jasim and Rahat-- all residents of Jamalpur Sadar Upazila. Abu Fattah, jailer of the district jail, said two groups of the inmates locked in clashes inside the jail and six of them died in this connection. The inmates also beat up the jailer, held him captive and tried to escape from the jail, he said.
Four critically injured inmates and three prison guards were admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital and Jamalpur General Hospital for treatment. The jailer, however, didn't elaborate how the inmates died.
He said during the incident, the inmates also vandalised two buildings within the prison, the jailer's office, one of the main gates and set fire to several parts of the facility, taking 14 prison guards hostage.
At one stage, the prison guards responded by firing warning shots to regain control of the situation, the jailer said. The jailer confirmed that no prisoners managed to escape during the incident. In response to the crisis, Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, and fire service were deployed in the jail to restore order.
Meanwhile, the hostages were released later that night, and by 3:00am, prison authorities had regained full control of the facility, the jailer said.
Our Chattogram Staff Correspondent adds Chattogram Central Jail inmates staged a protest on Friday afternoon, prompting prison guards to fire warning shots to control the situation.
Senior Superintendent of the prison, Muhammad Manjur Hossain, confirmed the incident, and said, "A group of inmates attempted to create chaos, and efforts were underway to restore order.
According to locals, the unrest began around 1:45pm when a group of inmates started protesting. In response, the prison authorities sounded the alarm, known locally as the "Pagla Ghonta" (Mad Alarm), signalling an emergency. Shortly after, gunshots were heard from inside the prison. The sound of gunfire continued until 2:40pm, alarming nearby residents and shopkeepers.
Chittagong Central Jail currently holds approximately 5,000 inmates. As the situation escalated, members of Bangladesh Army were seen entering the prison premises. A crowd of curious onlookers gathered outside the main gate, adding to the tension.
Earlier in the week, a crowd attempted to break into the jail's main gate. Prison guards responded with gunfire, dispersing the crowd. In that incident, a young man named Emon was shot and later died from his injuries.
