Bangladesh Prison Chief Admits Awami League Inmates Still Use Illegal Phones

The Inspector General of Prisons has admitted that incarcerated Awami League leaders and activists continue to use illegal mobile phones to communicate with the outside world. This admission underscores a persistent failure in state custodial control during a volatile period of political transition in Bangladesh.

Brig Gen Syed Motaher Hossain, the Inspector General of Prisons, stated that while the practice has declined from its peak in 2024, he cannot provide a total guarantee that the activity has ceased. "They are talking," Hossain said, adding, "I cannot give a cent-per-cent guarantee that they are not talking." This systemic breach is compounded by widespread staff collusion; over the past two years, 1,276 prison officers and staff have faced punishment for offenses including the supply of narcotics and facilitating phone access for Awami League inmates.

A System in Crisis

These security lapses are part of a broader collapse of order within the prison system following the mass uprising in July. The instability was most evident when 2,247 prisoners escaped during the unrest, with 690 individuals remaining at large. The chaos has also led to critical administrative failures; records for 166 inmates who escaped from Narsingdi Jail have gone missing, rendering those individuals impossible to identify.

Implications for State Control

The inability to secure high-profile political prisoners reveals deep-seated corruption where prison staff actively collude with politically connected inmates. When inmates can maintain external communication lines and hundreds can vanish from the system without a paper trail, the state's ability to enforce judicial mandates is severely compromised. This environment suggests that political influence continues to penetrate the walls of the custodial system, undermining the rule of law during a sensitive transition.

The Path to Reform

In response to these failures, the government is attempting a fundamental restructuring of the penal system. Efforts are underway to transform the current Bangladesh Jail into the 'Custodial and Correction Service, Bangladesh' under a draft Act for 2025. This overhaul aims to shift the focus toward correction and professionalize the service to eliminate the corruption that allowed illegal communication and mass escapes to occur. Observers will be watching whether this legislative change can actually dismantle the networks of collusion between staff and political prisoners.