Khulna: A total of 100 convicted prisoners were shifted from the old Khulna Jail to the newly constructed modern district jail this morning. The inmates were transferred to the new facility around 11 am using three prison vans.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the prisoners were greeted with tuberose and rose flowers by Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Monir Ahmed upon their arrival at the new premises. Present during the transfer were Khulna Jail Superintendent Nasir Uddin Pradhan, Jailer Munir Hossain, and other officials. Jail sources indicated that the first phase of the transfer was initially scheduled for October 25 but was delayed due to incomplete construction work at the new jail. Some earth-filling work has since been completed, although a few finishing tasks are still ongoing.
Jailer Munir Hossain stated that 100 male convicts were transferred in the first phase, and more prisoners, including some from Jashore Jail, will gradually be moved to the new facility. This initiative aims to ease congestion in both Khulna and Jashore jails. He elaborated that the new modern jail is designed as a correctional facility, offering vocational training, motivational and mental health counseling to inmates.
Prison sources mentioned that while the new jail has commenced operations, activities at the old facility will continue. Eventually, the new establishment will serve as the central district jail, while the existing one at Jailkhana Ghat will function as the Metropolitan Jail. Officials added that the government plans to operate both prisons concurrently, and once gazetted, the two facilities will run under separate names and administrations.
Currently, the 113-year-old Khulna Jail, located on the bank of the Bhairab River, holds nearly twice its capacity, leading to unsafe and overcrowded conditions for inmates. To address this, the new prison has been constructed on about 30 acres near Rupsha Bridge Bypass Road under the supervision of the Public Works Department. Initially estimated at Taka 144 crore and approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in 2011, the project's cost rose to Taka 288 crore after several revisions and extensions.
Designed as a modern correctional complex, the facility can eventually accommodate 4,000 inmates, though infrastructure for 2,000 has been completed so far. Separate barracks have been built for male, female, juvenile, and under-trial prisoners. Additionally, the complex includes a 50-bed hospital, motivational centers, work sheds, specialized wards for women with children, a library, school for prison staff's children, dining halls, laundry and salon facilities, and solar power systems. The compound also features around five kilometers of boundary walls, two ponds, drainage and waste treatment systems, and rainwater harvesting arrangements. Although some earth-filling and ancillary works remain incomplete, authorities have confirmed the facility is ready for phased use.