Inmates to Connect with Families Through Video Calls as Prisons Undergo Major Reforms

Inmates in prisons across the country will soon be able to connect with their families through video calls, a special initiative designed to bridge the emotional distance of incarceration.

Following a successful pilot project at the Munshiganj District Jail, the Prison Directorate announced that this facility will soon be expanded nationwide, allowing prisoners to speak with loved ones for ten minutes once a week under strict privacy guidelines.

Beyond digital communication, the government has introduced comprehensive rehabilitation and correctional programs, including sports, cultural events, religious education, and counseling. Production and vocational training are also being scaled up; Kashimpur Central Jail Part-2 has launched an in-house soap manufacturing unit, while the Dhaka Central Jail has integrated advanced, China-imported roti-making machinery to efficiently supply hygienic meals. To enhance healthcare, a central prison hospital is being established in Keraniganj, backed by 55 newly recommended diploma nurses and a planned diagnostic laboratory at the prison headquarters.

Security, transparency, and staff welfare are also undergoing massive overhauls. A strict zero-tolerance policy against drugs has been enforced with the acquisition of drug-testing equipment at headquarters. Furthermore, retired prison guards have been granted lifetime rations in principle, and eco-friendly greening initiatives have seen nearly 18,000 trees planted across facilities in Sylhet, Kishoreganj, and Khulna to foster a humane and reform-oriented correctional environment.