BOGURA, Jun 26: Four condemned convicts, who escaped from the Bogura District Jail early Wednesday by drilling a hole on the roof, were arrested within hours.
The police arrested them from nearby Chelopara Bridge area.
According to Jailer Mohammad Faridur Rahman, "The four death-row convicts had escaped from the prison, and we found them in nearby areas."
The inmates were taken to DB office, said police.
While talking to media at his offices conference room, Superintendent of Police of Bogura Sudip Kumar Chakraborty said, "This is a very sensitive issue as the four persons were death-row convicts."
The four include, Nazrul Islam Majnu of Diadanga area in Bhurungamari upazila in Kurigram, Amir Hossain of Fazarkandi village in Madhabdi upazila of Narsingdi, Zakaria, son of Abdul Mannan, Mayor of Kahaloo municipality in Bogura, and Farid Sheikh of Kuturbari Paschimpara in Bogura.
Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam announced that a six-member investigation team, headed by the additional deputy commissioner, has been formed to investigate the escape.
Rajshahi DIG of Prisons Kamal Hossain said that an investigation committee will be formed led by an Additional IG of Prisons.
According to police and court sources, the convicts escaped at 3:55am on Wednesday from one of the three condemned cells in the east-north corner of the prison, which houses 13 death row inmates. The four convicts breached the roof of the cell, tied a rope with bed sheets, and climbed to the roof. They climbed the high wall using the rope and crossed the Karatoa River Bridge.
The group was arrested at around 4:30am when they were preparing to flee from the Chelopara Bridge, based on a tip-off from the local police.
They were taken to the DB office after primary interrogation.
Superintendent of Police Sudip Kumar Chakraborty said at the press briefing that new charges will be filed against the convicts before they are sent back to prison.
Bogura Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Saihan Oliullah said that Md Zakaria was sentenced to death for killing Naim, a child from Kahaloo, Bogura, and burning the body in a kiln.
Nazrul Islam Manju and Amir Hossain were sentenced to death in four murder cases.
The method of their escape through the jails condemned cell roof will be found out through investigation, said the officer.
Rajshahi DIG of Prisons Kamal Hossain and other officials visited Bogura following the escape.
In response to journalists inquiries, he said that an investigation committee will be formed and the details will be provided later.
Concerns have been raised about how the convicts escape from the prison, especially as they were not wearing prison clothes. Many are attributing the incident to negligence by jail officials and are demanding a thorough investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible.
