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Bangladesh reintroduces feet shackling

Bangladesh has reintroduced the colonial practice of shackling the feet of some prison inmates to curb breakouts, the country’s deputy prison chief said yesterday.

The move comes after four prisoners considered among Bangladesh’s most dangerous escaped from a prison in the middle of last month. Three remain on the run.

Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said about 1,000 prisoners — all relatively young and serving long sentences for serious crimes, including convicted Islamic terrorists — had been fitted with iron “bar fetters.”

“We had earlier stopped using bar fetters in our jails because it is considered inhumane, although it is allowed in the country’s jail codes. We have reintroduced it to make sure that nobody thinks of escaping,” he said.

A senior human rights lawyer criticized the practice as outdated.

“The British colonial government introduced bar fetters more than 150 years back. It is still part of our jail codes although we have become independent for decades,” said Elena Khan of the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights.

“This is inhumane and unacceptable in a civilized world,” she said, adding: “The government should also ease overcrowding in jails so that security for the dangerous convicts can be made foolproof.”

Bangladesh has a problem with overcrowded prisons which became worse after the emergency government launched a crackdown on corruption early last year.

About 87,000 prisoners in 66 jails, including about 1,000 on death row, now share facilities meant for fewer than one third that number.

Authorities say overcrowding has weakened security because of a shortage of prison guards.
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