Old Dhaka jail to be an open place for city dwellers: IG prisons

The 228-year old Dhaka Central Jail on the capital’s Nazimuddin road will be turned into a jail museum and an open space for Dhaka city dwellers, said inspector general of prisons Brigadier General Syed Iftekhar Uddin on Friday, sharing the jail authorities’ plan.
At a briefing, the IG prisons disclosed that an exhibition of 145 rare photographs of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and four national leaders — Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, M Mansoor Ali and AHM Quamaruzzaman — would be held inside the old Dhaka central jail in November 1-5.
The Bangladesh Jail and voluntary organisation Journey will jointly organise the exhibition, Sangrami Jibongantha, first of its kind inside a prison, on the occasion of Jail Killing Day on November 3, the day in 1975 when the four national leaders were killed inside the jail. 
He said, ‘The jail has now two museums — one preserving the memories of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the other those of the four national leaders.’ 
The jail authorities would keep the museums open for public during the exhibition, with the entry ticket priced at Tk 100, he informed. 
He said that the money from the sale of ticket would be used for the children who live with their mothers in jail.
During November 1-5 exhibition, objects used by the great leaders would be on display, the prisons chief added.
He shared that they would make the place a prison museum by preserving its 228-year history.
‘We have a plan to make the place an open place - a place for amusement, a place for get-together,’ he said.
‘It is in the initial stage. We have establishments on about 20 acares of land. We need to make a design, get it approved and then go for implementation,’ he said.
‘If everything goes smoothly,’ he said, ‘it might take about three years and a half to implement the plan.’ 
There would be a cineplex, convention centre and food court having only the traditional foods of old Dhaka, he said.
Asked whether all these would be inside the old jail or elsewhere, he said that all these depended on design of the planned project. 
‘Many people want to feel the prison. We can arrange for them. We have over 100 cells, including historically important ones. People will be given clothes and food meant for prisoners and they will be isolated so that they can feel the life of prisoners,’ he said.
Asked whether there was any pressure to grab the old jail’s land by any quarters, he said that there were some movements to get the land but the city dwellers needed open place for which the area would be used. 
All inmates of the jail were shifted to newly built Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on July 29.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net