Prisons across Bangladesh are under immense pressure as the number of inmates has doubled compared to the official capacity, following an ongoing nationwide crackdown on individuals accused in cases of murder, enforced disappearances, violence, and other crimes after the fall of the Awami League government.
According to data from the Department of Prisons, the country’s 70 prisons have a combined capacity of 43,157 inmates. However, as of July 1, these facilities were holding 72,105 prisoners—nearly 67% over capacity.
The Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj is currently the most overcrowded, housing 7,987 inmates in a facility meant for just 4,590.
Following the political shift on August 5 last year, authorities launched a series of arrests targeting former ministers, MPs, secretaries, judges, military officers, senior police officials, businesspeople, cultural figures, and leaders of the Awami League and its affiliated bodies.
Law enforcement agencies are also detaining convicts and individuals with active warrants on a daily basis, reportedly arresting 1,000–1,500 people per day.
Of the total prison population, 69,438 are male and 2,667 are female. Among them, 18,426 have been convicted, including 2,602 who are on death row. Prisons also hold convicted war criminals and members of banned militant groups such as Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
In the Dhaka division, 18 prisons are supposed to accommodate 13,582 inmates. Instead, they currently hold 25,598. In Keraniganj’s central prison, nearly 8,000 prisoners are confined within space meant for just over 4,500. In Gazipur’s Kashimpur-2 prison, 3,363 inmates occupy a facility built for 2,000. Kashimpur High-Security Prison, designed for 1,000, now holds 2,532. In Narayanganj, 1,335 inmates are crammed into a jail with a 540-person capacity. The Women’s Central Jail is housing 545 inmates in a space designed for 200.
In the Chattogram division, 11 jails (including two central prisons) have a capacity of 6,950 but are holding 14,672 inmates. Chattogram Central Jail is the most overcrowded, with 5,147 inmates in a space meant for 1,853. The Cox’s Bazar District Jail holds 2,436 inmates in a facility meant for just 830.
In the Rajshahi division, the eight jails have a combined capacity of 4,179 but are holding 9,227 inmates. The Bogura District Jail is housing 1,730 inmates in a facility built for 723.
In Barisal division, six jails designed for 1,913 people are now holding 2,913. The Mymensingh division’s four prisons with a total capacity of 1,803 are accommodating 4,000 inmates. The Khulna division’s ten prisons are holding 6,572 inmates, exceeding the 5,069 capacity.
Sylhet division appears to be the most balanced, with 4,540 inmates in facilities with a 4,482 capacity. In Rangpur division, eight prisons built for 5,179 inmates are currently housing 4,845.
