Female inmate escapes by scaling Kashimpur jail wall; 7 prison staff suspended
The escape took place on Thursday afternoon but came to light yesterday after prison authorities reviewed CCTV footage and confirmed that the inmate had fled the facility.
Seven prison staff members have been temporarily suspended after a convicted inmate escaped by scaling the boundary wall of Kashimpur Central Female Jail in Gazipur, prompting an investigation into security lapses.
The escape took place on Thursday (16 July) afternoon, but came to light yesterday after prison authorities reviewed CCTV footage and confirmed that the inmate had fled the facility.
The escaped prisoner, Rimpa, 21, is the daughter of Md Hasan of Raipur in Meherpur. She had been serving a three-month sentence in a CR case filed with Dhaka's Dhanmondi Police Station.
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Assistant Inspector General of Prisons Md Jannat-ul-Farhad confirmed the incident, saying a case and a General Diary (GD) had been filed against the fugitive at Konabari Police Station.
Police have launched efforts to re-arrest her, while departmental action has been taken against seven prison personnel.
According to prison and police sources, inmates are required to return to their cells by 5pm each day.
During the routine headcount on Thursday, prison authorities discovered that Rimpa was missing. A search of the jail failed to locate her.
A review of CCTV footage later showed that she had climbed the cornice of a wall beside the jail's office building before scaling the boundary wall and escaping.
The preliminary investigation found that around 40 female inmates had been carrying bricks inside the prison that evening.
During that time, surveillance by the matrons and prison guards on duty was inadequate, allowing Rimpa to take advantage of the lapse and flee, according to investigators.
Following the initial findings, three matrons and four female prison guards were temporarily suspended on allegations of negligence of duty.
The suspended staff are matrons Laila Anjuman Sumi, Marina and Rehena, and female prison guards Shaila, Sharmin, Jemi and Asma.
AIG-Prisons Jannat-ul-Farhad said the suspensions were based on evidence of negligence identified in the preliminary report.
"A high-level investigation is underway to determine how a prisoner managed to escape despite the prison's security measures," he said.
Senior Jail Superintendent of Kashimpur Central Female Jail Mst Kawalin Nahar said a case had been filed against the escaped prisoner and law enforcement agencies were working to arrest her.
Konabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Iftekhar Hossain said that police and other law enforcement agencies were conducting a combing operation to locate and arrest the fugitive.
