A humanitarian initiative has been launched at Chattogram Central Jail to improve communication between prisoners and their families.
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah officially inaugurated a one-to-one intercom telephone system that allows inmates and their relatives to speak clearly during visits on Thursday.
Previously, family members had to stand on opposite sides of a prison grill and shout to communicate, often making it difficult to understand each other due to noise and crowding. The newly introduced system eliminates that problem by enabling direct communication through intercom booths. This pilot project has been funded by the Alhaj Shamsul Hoque Foundation.
According to prison officials, this initiative marks a significant step toward making prison management more humane. Although intercom systems have been introduced in some prisons in the country before, installing 32 booths at once on such a large scale is the first of its kind at Chattogram Central Jail.
Relatives of prisoners expressed relief after using the new system. Md. Saiful Hossain, who came to visit his friend Delwar Hossain Babul—imprisoned for nearly a year in a murder case—said communication had been extremely difficult before. “Earlier, we couldn’t understand anything because of the shouting. Today we spoke comfortably through the intercom,” he said.
Babul’s wife, Ruma Akhter, became emotional after the meeting. “Our child was able to talk properly with his father today. That means a lot to us,” she said.
Md. Abbas Uddin, visited his brother Md. Shahadat Hossain, an inmate in a political case, also welcomed the initiative. “For so long we had to speak loudly across the grill. Today we could talk peacefully,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner Zahidul Islam said that there are currently about 6,455 prisoners in the jail and a large number of relatives visit every day. Due to the crowd and noise, many people previously struggled to communicate.
“I have personally seen a small child trying to talk to his father,” he said. “If someone commits a crime, the court will judge them. But the family members of prisoners are not criminals. We want to ensure as humane an environment as possible while they are in prison.”
The project was implemented with approval from the Bangladesh Prisons Department. As part of the pilot phase, 32 intercom booths have been installed on the ground floor—16 on each side. Of these, 12 are designated for male prisoners and four for female prisoners. Authorities plan to expand the system to the second floor in phases.
Senior Jail Superintendent Md. Iqbal Hossain said the new system has already improved the visiting experience. “We no longer have to shout during visits. This is the first time such a large-scale intercom system has been introduced in Chattogram prison,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner expressed hope that technology could further improve prison communication. “With technological advancement, there may one day be a system for online meetings or video calls,” he said.
The initiative highlights a broader message: prisons are not only places of punishment but also institutions that require humane management. For many families who were able to speak clearly across the divide for the first time, the new system has helped bridge an emotional gap that once seemed impossible to overcome.
