Prisons in Bangladesh are currently holding inmates almost double their capacity, according to official data.
The number of prisoners stood at 79,353 as of Aug 13, according to the Department of Prisons under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Among the prisoners, 14,444 are convicts. The rest 64,909 are facing trials.
A total of 13,914 convicted male prisoners are staying in jails.
The number of female prisoners is only 2,962. Of them, 530 females are convicts.
There are 68 jails all over the country with a total capacity of holding 42,450 inmates. The capacity for male prisoners is 40,521, while the capacity for female prisoners is 1,929.
Earlier on February 18, 2021, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the government had taken steps to turn the prisons into correction centres.
The jail authorities have taken some steps as per the direction of Prime minister Sheikh Hasina to this effect, he added.
