Inmates need to be protected against HIV: IG of Prisons

Human rights of high-risk groups in prisons need to be ensured to fight against HIV, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General A S M Anisul Haque has said.

“People from different walks of life come to the prisons, including drug addicts, sex workers, transgenders, and they are living with HIV/ AIDS. The prison will be the ‘correctional centre’ and must ensure the rights of all prisoners as declared by the Prime Minister,” said the IG of Prisons while addressing at a programme as the chief guest held virtually on Thursday.

The programme titled “Prevention of HIV amongst the Most at Risk Prisoner in Bangladesh” was arranged by the department of prisons and Dhaka Ahsania Mission jointly while supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Prison officials and employees joined the online HIV awareness training programme begins today.

Md Abu Taher, national program coordinator at UNODC, as the special guest at the inaugural function.

The special guest in his speech said the risk of HIV in prisons is higher than any other population in the country. The spread of HIV inside prisons is due to excessive incarceration, unprotected sexual activity, and poor prison health services, he added.

In his welcome address, Iqbal Masud, director of health and wash sector in Dhaka Ahsania Mission, said the active steps taken by the present government have greatly improved the prison management and human condition of the detainees.

Following this, awareness programmes should be implemented to prevent HIV and other infections among the inmates.

The training will be conducted by HIV specialists in various sessions where prison officers and staff and health staff of 13 central jails and 47 district jails of the country will be imparted in phases through eight batches under the supervision of Dhaka Ahsania Mission.