Editorial
Factory within prisons
Plan should be followed through
The plan to set up some kind of garment manufacturing unit in country's congested jails is really thinking out of the box. If seen through, it will help the convicts in a number of ways including their rehabilitation back in society. We welcome the idea being mooted by the prison authorities.
At this stage setting up of factories is envisaged in major prisons before expanding to all of Bangladesh's 68 jails. Bangladesh now has a prison population of 60,000 including nearly 1000 on death row. So a huge potential remains untapped for a creative utilization of the human resource.
The aim is to impart life skill training to the prisoners as the garment manufacturing work will keep them busy and safe from straying into morbidity. The money that they would earn at the end of the day would come in handy when they are released from jail.
We cannot think of any better use of the large number of young and middle aged inmates serving different terms in the prison than such a gainful involvement. As it is, they are used in some kind of productive work, so that they can be easily motivated and trained up to undertake the new project with a great possibility.
Moreover, this type of productive engagement will help reform wayward convicts to start a new life with positive outlook and commitment to a dignified existence after their release from jail.
Now we urge the prison authorities to work out the details of how the project can be turned into economically viable undertaking. Together with the government, the corporate sectors including the banks, could come forward to play out their CSR role.
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