Serious allegations have been raised of inhuman torture, 24-hour confinement, and denial of regular food and water to inmates at Dhaka Central Jail (Keraniganj). The allegations were made in a letter sent from the jail yesterday, Wednesday (7 January), by Mohammad Tarikul Islam Tarek, Central Publicity Secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The letter, written on behalf of nearly 2,000 inmates of the Shapla, Bonful and Surjomukhi blocks of the jail, accuses the prison authorities of violating the Jail Code.
What the letter says
Tarikul Islam (Undertrial No. 61047/25), who is detained in Cell 3/1 of the Bonful block, states in his letter that since the beginning of 2026, the prison authorities have unlawfully introduced an indefinite system of “24-hour lockup.”
He writes:
“Around 1,800 to 2,000 undertrial prisoners in the Shapla, Bonful and Surjomukhi blocks are being kept in 24-hour lockup and subjected to various forms of inhuman and anti-human treatment. This is completely outside the law governing prisons.”
Allegations of food and water deprivation
The complaint is not limited to confinement alone. The letter alleges deprivation of basic rights as well. It claims:
“The prison authorities are subjecting 1,800 to 2,000 undertrial prisoners to inhuman treatment by regularly depriving them of food, water and other essential provisions.”
Appeal for international intervention
At the end of the letter, Tarikul Islam describes the situation as “brutal oppression” and makes an appeal for protection. He writes:
“I earnestly appeal to all of you to inform all national and international human rights organizations about this message and to take necessary steps to protect me and the 2,000 undertrial prisoners like me from this brutal oppression.”
Following the political developments of 2024 and the subsequent banning of Bangladesh Chhatra League, many of the organization’s leaders and activists were arrested. Tarikul Islam Tarek is one of them and is currently being held at Keraniganj Jail as an undertrial prisoner.
So far, no official statement has been issued by the prison authorities regarding these allegations. However, observers consider the reported 24-hour lockup of prisoners and food shortages to constitute violations of human rights.
