One-third of over 82,000 prisoners in 68 jails across the country are accused in drug cases of which mostly are addicted, according to sources in jail.

Disciplinary actions have been taken against at least 25 prison guards for drug trafficking in the past year alone, according to the Department of Prisons.

Kashimpur High-Security Jail chief guard Saiful Islam was arrested with 300 yaba pills while attempting to smuggle those inside the prison on 18 December last year.

Just a week before, the prison authorities seized four packets of cannabis from the possession of another guard named Sohail Rana. Another kilogram of cannabis was also found from him based on information from the arrestee. The authorities also handed him over to the police.

In September, a guard of Kashimpur Jail-2 was arrested with 200 yaba tablets.

An individual named Amiya Hazra (pseudonym) landed in Kashimpur Jail-1 in January this year. After serving one month and 10 days in prison, Hazra came out on bail.

“What do you need? Everything is available in prison. Especially the drug dealing is an open secret. Most of the prison guards in Kashimpur are involved in it,” Hazra said while talking to the media on Monday.

He came to know from other prisoners who have been in jail for a long time that raids take place occasionally. Meanwhile, Russell, a ‘top-listed drug dealer’ in Gulshan, Badda, and Bhatara areas of the capital, was also active in drug dealing even in jail.

Arrested in February this year, Russell was regularly supplied with drugs by his accomplices with the connivance of prison guards. The guards also use inmates “loyal to them” for drug dealing.

Officials from multiple agencies tracked Russell’s communications through technology and found surprising information.

“We got much information about the inside of the prison from Russell. We are working on this,” said an official related to the development requesting not to be named.

Two days ago, a person was released on bail from Shariatpur District Jail. He said 300 inmates out of 400 there have been accused in drug cases.

Crime experts said drugs are a major threat to the country's current generation as these are the root causes of many crimes. Even after going to prison for correction, the situation gets worse by continued exposure to drugs.

Information is also available that many people come out of prison being addicted to drugs although they were not addicted before going to jail.

Dhaka University’s Institute of Social Welfare and Research Associate Professor Md Tawohidul Haque said the time has come to think more deeply about the prison system. “It is very alarming that many people come out of jail knowing how to get involved in crimes even after going for correction.”

Additional Inspector General of Prisons Colonel Sheikh Sujaur Rahman told the media that the authorities sometimes make surprise visits to various prisons as the zero tolerance policy against drugs continues.

“If someone is involved in drugs and evidence is found, departmental and legal actions are taken. Some 42 prisons are being monitored regularly through CCTV cameras from the prison headquarters. Rest of the prisons will also come under surveillance soon,” he said.

On 8 February, the police arrested Jashore jail guard Ashraful Murad Rubel on charges of involvement in drug dealing. They found 100 yaba tablets in his jacket pocket. Based on his information, the law enforcers also arrested another ‘drug dealer’ named Torab Ali with 150 pieces of yaba pills.

According to the police, Murad regularly supplied various drugs, including yaba, to the addicted inmates, while Torab himself was once a prison guard.

Prison sources said though the authorities took disciplinary actions against at least 25 guards for drug trafficking last year, drug dealing inside prisons remained unabated.

A person who was recently released on bail from the Kashimpur-2 Central Jail said prisoners – Foyez, Noor Hossain, Hajati Monir, Rokon, and Faisal have been continuing drug dealing with guards for a long time.

He said drug peddling is done in different wards through the inmates of building number 1 in that prison. Besides, this ‘business’ is done in several wards of building number 6 with the help of the administration.

A prisoner who was in Kashimpur High-Security Jail for a long time said inmates – Ripon of Shahjahanpur, Shahed, Ripon of Mohammadpur, Ratan, and Pichchi Liton have been dealing drugs in the jail for a long time with the connivance of the prison administration.

Apart from this, drug dealing is done in several rooms of Gazi Building.

He said another prisoner who was caught red-handed while consuming drugs at Padma Building in early March went scot-free as the individual paid Tk5,000 to the jail guards.

Department of Narcotics Control officials said they have information that a part of the inmates are involved in drug dealing and the use of drugs is also going on inside prisons. Although they have limitations in conducting raids inside there, jail authorities do so regularly and take action.

On 19 September 2023, a court in Gazipur sentenced Azizar Rahman, a guard of Kashimpur Jail-2, to five-year imprisonment for supplying drugs to inmates.

On 21 September 2017, some guards apprehended a prisoner named Shahidul Islam with 100 yaba tablets in his possession. During interrogation, Shahidul revealed that Azizar had given him the tablets. In another raid, 600 yaba tablets and 100 grams of cannabis were also found in Azizar's house.