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Published : 08 Jun 2026, 10:31 AM
The Shariatpur District Jail has continued to hold 17 Indian nationals despite the completion of their prison terms.
Prison authorities say repatriation has stalled because their identities remain unverified and repeated attempts to contact the Indian Embassy have brought no response.
On Sunday, Jailer Papiya Sultana said police from Padma Bridge South Police Station and Zajira Police Station had detained 20 people at different times near the Padma Bridge in 2022 and 2023.
They were later sent to prison by court order.
Although they have completed their sentences, they are still being held as release prisoners (RP) because the verification and repatriation process remains incomplete.
Among them, Indian nationals identified as Satyendra Kumar and Babul Singh died in jail on Feb 2, 2024, while another inmate, known only as Rajan, died on May 29, 2025.
Prison officials said the bodies of the three dead inmates were kept for a long period in the morgue of Shariatpur Sadar Hospital.
Following legal formalities, two bodies were cremated locally in January 2025, while the third was cremated in December the same year.
A total of Tk 2.91 million has been spent on preserving and cremating the three bodies.
The jail currently holds 14 male and three female Indian nationals. Authorities say many of them face language barriers and struggle to communicate normally.
Prison officials also say some inmates are refusing to eat properly, raising concerns over their health.
The Shariatpur jail administration says it has repeatedly written to higher authorities over the issue but has yet to see any meaningful progress.
Jail Superintendent Md Bazlur Rashid said, “Those currently held here are not eating properly and are not wearing clothes regularly. We are in constant contact with higher authorities over the matter.
“Steps will be taken once we receive instructions.”
Shariatpur District Bar Association General Secretary Mridha Nazrul Kabir said the issue requires coordinated efforts by the foreign and law ministries so the inmates can return to their families and homeland.
Former Chikondi Union Parishad chairman and lawyer Abdul Mannan Talukder said the government spends large sums of money preserving and burying foreign inmates after their deaths, making repatriation an urgent necessity.
Shariatpur Deputy Commissioner Tahsina Begum said she was not aware of the matter and would need to review the relevant files before commenting on the inmates' situation.
