No parole application filed to Jashore authorities for Saddam, says home ministry
It says reports circulating in various media outlets and on social media claiming that such an application had been made are incorrect
The Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that no application was submitted for the parole release of prisoner Jewel Hasan Saddam, who is currently jailed in Jashore Central Jail following the death of his wife and child.
In a statement issued today (25 January) on the matter, the home ministry said neither Saddam's family nor any representative applied to the Jashore Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate or to the Jashore Central Jail authorities seeking his release on parole.
The ministry added that reports circulating in various media outlets and on social media claiming that such an application had been made are incorrect.
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However earlier in the day, Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Golam Md Baten said the parole application reached his official residence on Friday (23 January). Upon being informed, he consulted the local prison authorities, who clarified that Saddam is currently imprisoned outside Bagerhat district.
Under the Prison Act, 2016, a prisoner held outside the district concerned cannot be released on parole by local authorities, making such a release legally impermissible, he explained.
According to the home ministry statement, based on the verbal intention expressed by Saddam's family, it was decided to show the bodies of his wife and child at the Jashore Jail gate.
Considering the humanitarian aspect of the situation, the Jashore District Administration and the Jashore Central Jail authorities extended maximum cooperation to facilitate the process.
The Ministry of Home Affairs urged media organisations to ensure the people's right to information by publishing accurate, objective, and verified news.
Saddam's maternal uncle Md Hemayet Uddin said a written application seeking parole was submitted to the Bagerhat deputy commissioner on 23 January through the district magistrate.
According to Hemayet Uddin, the family was advised to apply to the prison where Saddam is currently held, in line with legal provisions.
"When we saw no other option, we took the bodies to Jashore Central Jail, where the authorities allowed Saddam just three minutes to bid them farewell," he said.
