One of the major standards of a civilized state is how it treats the people under its custody. Those held in prisons may be convicted criminals, accused persons, or undertrial detainees; but none of them lose their citizenship.
Ensuring their right to life, medical care, and human dignity is both a constitutional and moral responsibility of the state. Unfortunately, the report titled “Deaths Increasing in Prisons Due to Shortage of Doctors and Ambulances,” published in Ittefaq on Saturday, presents a picture that clearly reflects a deep failure in fulfilling this responsibility within the country’s prisons.
According to the report, 54 out of the country’s 74 prisons do not have any ambulance. This means that if a prisoner suddenly falls ill or faces an emergency such as a heart attack, stroke, or serious injury, many prisons lack even the minimum arrangement to quickly transport them to a hospital.
More alarming is the fact that, in many cases, laguna vans or rented ordinary vehicles are used to deal with such emergencies. Bangladesh’s prisons have a capacity of 42,590 inmates, yet in reality the prison population often exceeds 80,000. In other words, prisoners are living in severely overcrowded conditions.
In such a situation, healthcare becomes even more critical; yet the actual picture is horrifying. Although there are 146 approved doctor positions under the prison department, only two permanent doctors are currently serving.
The question is: in a country where thousands of crores of taka are spent in various sectors, why does arranging a few dozen doctors and some ambulances for prisons take years upon years? Both previous and current administrations have long been aware of this problem.
Meetings have been held, letters exchanged, and proposals sent to the Planning Commission; yet actual progress has been extremely slow. In the end, this prolonged negligence is costing human lives. Deaths in prison are not merely insignificant statistics. Every death leaves behind a family or loved ones carrying unbearable pain.
If a prisoner dies because they could not be taken to a hospital in time, the blame cannot simply be placed on fate. It is also a matter of administrative failure, policy neglect, and human rights.
Another important point is that the majority of prisoners have not yet been convicted by a court. The number of undertrial detainees is enormous.
This means that people whose crimes have not even been legally proven are also becoming victims of an inhumane healthcare system. In a democratic state, such a reality gives rise to deep concern.
The positive news is that approval has recently been granted to procure 44 ambulances. But the question remains: is this enough? Merely acquiring vehicles will not solve the problem.
What is needed is round-the-clock doctors in every prison, trained healthcare workers, emergency medicines, mental health services, and an efficient referral system.
Prisons should not be viewed solely as places of punishment—they are also places of correction and rehabilitation. Pushing people toward death through neglect before they even have the chance for rehabilitation cannot be considered the mark of a civilized society.
In discussions about human rights violations in Bangladesh, the internal realities of prisons often remain hidden from view. Yet the true humanitarian face of a state is often revealed behind these very walls.
If we genuinely wish to build a humane and welfare-oriented state, then permanent solutions to such inhumane problems are essential. Otherwise, deaths will continue to rise silently behind prison walls, while the aspiration to become a civilized state will remain confined to plans and empty rhetoric.
