Several hundred children are in the country's central jails with their imprisoned mothers. Such confinement, according to experts, might affect their normal upbringing and lead them to go astray.
Bangladesh Prisons Department data show 328 children were in prisons until February 2018. The corresponding number was 325 in 2016.
However, the number of children languishing in jails with their mothers--for no fault of their own--remained almost static over the years, jail sources said.
According to section 957 of the Jail Code, female prisoners may retain their children up to four years, or with the Superintendent's approval up to six years. They shall be allowed such diet as the Medical Officer may order for them, and shall be provided with suitable clothing.
Psychologists and child-rights activists said children's stay behind bars might cause a long-term physical, mental, and social effect, which could impel them into committing criminal acts in future as grown-up citizens.
Prisons officials, however, claimed of providing all basic necessities, despite limited resources, to these children.
Talking to the FE, Mahjabeen Haque, an associate professor at the Department of Education and Counselling Psychology of Dhaka University, said normal mental and physical growth of such children is affected.
"Those children might develop abnormal and offensive kinds of character as they experience different types of environment in jails," Ms Haque said.
The jail authorities can hardly provide proper care and child-friendly environment as the colonial prisons act reigns in the country's prison system, she added.
Citing India's prisons system, she said, "India's government has reformed the system and the prisoners can work and earn outside side by side serving the punishment in some jails."
The university teacher suggested that Bangladesh should emulate the changes and turn immediately all the jails into correction centres to provide opportunities so that "the prisoners can evolve themselves through their works".
To ensure proper upbringing of the children, mother's secure attachment is so needed as the children stay in insure, ambivalent and disorganised atmosphere in the prison, she said.
There is a lot of doubt how the children are being groomed and treated in the confines of jail. Still the country's Jail Code, which consists of the provisions of the Prisons Act 1894, is being followed by the authorities, the psychology expert said.
Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) director Abdus Shahid Mahmood noted that children are the asset of the government and born with huge potential in the world.
"It is mandatory for the government to ensure all fundamental rights of a child as they are the protector of all children in the country," he added.
The government should implement the National Child Act 2013, the National Child Policy 2011 and the Child Rights Convention of the UN to secure their rights, the director said.
He expressed doubt that the laws and policies are really being applied for the children to protect the children's rights.
Human's rights activist advocate Salma Ali told the FE the mothers who committed little crimes could be given bail immediately to secure their children's rights.
There may be human-rights violations as the country's jail system cannot be developed as world-standard ones, she said.
"It is very difficult to find standard and quality atmosphere for the children in the country's jails," the Supreme Court lawyer said.
Contacted, Iqbal Kabir Chowdhury, senior superintendent of Chittagong Central Jail, told the FE that considering needs of the children for a healthy grooming, the authorities were providing many more facilities to them what they deserve according to the traditional law.
The facilities include: Non-formal education and diet for children, especially milk, and daycare facilities in the jail. The Red Crescent Society gave the sports instruments for the children.
He admits that the children are confined with their mothers there. But the imprisoned mothers and children are not kept in the confined environment rather they can enjoy the outside atmosphere.
"These facilities are limited in our country," he added.
Inspector-General of Prisons Brigadier-General Syed Iftekhar Uddin told the FE that, according to the British jail code, the imprisoned mothers can stay with their children while countries like the UK and the US don't have such facility.
"Mothers' care and attachment are essential during this critical period," he said.
The jail authorities are providing all fundamental facilities like pre-primary education to the children to evolve their normal mental faculty. Children can play in the fields and enjoy at the parks inside the jail. The necessary diets like milk, banana and egg are given to the kids on daily basis, the IG (prisons) said.
