Keraniganj: Barley one week into their shifting from the old Dhaka Central Jail, the inmates of the newly-built Keraniganj Central Jail have started grappling with various problems, including incomplete amenities.

Severe scarcity of water, delayed meals and inability to meet visitors are the main problems they have got to experience initially, reports UNB.

Among them, crisis of water is worth mentioning first.

The inmates are suffering from water crisis, for which unplanned water management is mainly to blame.

During a recent visit, a UNB correspondent found that there was only one room for meeting visitors in the jail, which is too very cramped. 

As a result, the inmates have to meet their visitors crossing an overwhelming crowd.

Visitors even have to go back without meeting prisoners, not enduring any more pains due to the space shortage.

Many while talking to the correspondent expressed necessity of at least two more visitors’ rooms for the newly-built jail facility.

Besides, foods are cooked in firewood stove in absence of gas connection, resulting in delay in distribution of meals among the inmates.

Jailer Nesar Alam said they are identifying the prisoners’ problems one by one and scores of them have already been informed to the higher authorities.

The authorities will take necessary measures accordingly, he added.

Ayesha, mother of an inmate, said she came to the jail to meet her son but failed to do so due to intolerable crowd in the visitors’ shed.

She also alleged that those who pay Tk500 and Tk1000 can get the chance to meet their relatives.

Experts said the problems would be solved once the authorities take steps to set up adequate number of water pumps, construct two more visotors’ rooms, install clay ovens until the gas connection comes and set up some tin-shed waiting rooms for visitors.

Some 6000 prisoners from Dhaka Central Jail were shifted to the central jail in Keraniganj on 29 July.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the new Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on 10 April.