Photo : BSS

KHULNA, Nov 1, 2025 (BSS) - A total of 100 convicted prisoners were shifted from the old Khulna Jail to the newly built modern district jail this morning.

The inmates were taken to the new facility around 11 am by three prison vans.

The prisoners were greeted with tuberose and rose flowers by Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Monir Ahmed upon their arrival at the new premises.

Khulna Jail Superintendent Nasir Uddin Pradhan, Jailer Munir Hossain, and other officials were present during the transfer.

Jail sources said the first phase of the transfer was initially scheduled for October 25 but was postponed 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.

Talking to BSS, Jailer Munir Hossain said 100 male convicts were transferred in the first phase. More prisoners, including some from Jashore Jail, will gradually be moved to the new facility, which will help ease congestion in both Khulna and Jashore jails.

"The newly constructed modern jail is designed as a correctional facility," he said. "It will provide vocational training to inmates to help them reintegrate into society and lead productive lives after release. The prisoners will also receive motivational and mental health counseling to discourage them from returning to crime," he added.

Prison sources said that while operations have begun at the new jail, activities at the old (current) 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 has decided in principle to operate both prisons concurrently. Once the decision is gazetted, the two facilities will run under separate names, with separate administration and officials.

Currently, the 113-year-old Khulna Jail, located on the bank of the Bhairab River, holds nearly twice its capacity, forcing inmates to live in unsafe and overcrowded conditions.

To address this, the new prison has been constructed on about 30 acres of land near Rupsha Bridge Bypass Road under the supervision of the Public Works Department.

The project, approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in 2011, was initially estimated at Taka 144 crore. Work began in June 2016, but after several revisions, the cost rose to Taka 288 crore, with project deadlines extended eight times.

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. There is a 50-bed hospital, motivational centers, work sheds, and specialized wards for women with children, including daycare and education facilities.

The complex also includes a library, a school for prison staff's children, dining halls, laundry and salon facilities, and solar power systems. The compound 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, the authorities said the new facility is ready for phased use.