Nearly 100,000 inmates strain Bangladesh’s overcrowded prison system

Bangladesh’s prisons are holding more than twice their designed capacity, placing severe pressure on medical care, sanitation, staff, and inmates’ basic rights, two experts said in a discussion organized by The Daily Star.

The country’s 75 prisons have a combined capacity of slightly more than 45,000 people but are holding 98,233 inmates, according to the Star.

Human rights activist Nur Khan Liton, a former member of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, said overcrowding leaves prisoners deprived of basic rights while also placing extraordinary pressure on prison employees.

“When an individual is in prison as an inmate, their entire safety and responsibility lie with the state,” Liton said. He said shortages of doctors, ambulances, and other essential services existed even before the prison population more than doubled.

Medical care was among his chief concerns. The program cited 151 sanctioned prison doctor positions but said only two were filled. Liton said ordinary inmates often struggle to obtain treatment and alleged that access can depend on money or influence.

Major (retd) Shamsul Haider Siddiqui, a former deputy inspector general of the Department of Prisons, said conditions have improved significantly but acknowledged that overcrowding strains water, sanitation, medical services, and staffing.

“Only the basic staying can be managed, but there are issues with water and other facilities,” Siddiqui said. He also acknowledged corruption, saying inmates’ vulnerability creates greater opportunities for abuse, though he argued corruption has declined in recent years.

Siddiqui said some previously degrading practices, including forcing inmates to sit on the ground and addressing them disrespectfully, had been eliminated. He also pointed to improvements in food, telephone access, sports, and cultural activities.

Liton said reducing the large population of undertrial prisoners could ease overcrowding. He estimated that undertrial detainees make up more than 60%, and possibly 70% to 72%, of inmates, and urged authorities to consider alternatives to imprisonment for minor offenses.

He also called for stronger mental health services, professional training for prison staff, meaningful rehabilitation programs, and independent scrutiny of conditions inside cells rather than limited official visits.

“If you think about rehabilitation, you must prioritize mental health,” Liton said.