<i>Opening their eyes to the world of learning</i>
Inmates of Brahmanbaria District Jail attend a class, demonstrating their ability to read and write in the presence of Deputy Inspector General Md Fazlur Rahman on July 28 as the authorities arranged literacy and vocational training programmes for the prisoners. Photo: Star
Over 800 inmates of the district jail who were illiterate only a few weeks ago, can now put their signature instead of thumbprint, thanks to the initiative of the authorities. A large number of them can also read and write while many are being imparted with vocational training. Aiming to achieve 100 percent success, an adult literacy programme was taken up in the jail in May this year. Jail office sources said, 818 inmates including 78 convicted and 740 under trial prisoners were made literate in five months from May. An under trial prisoner, Mubarak Mia, 50, said, “My wife got surprised to see my signature on the bail bond as I was illiterate before entering the jail”. Jail superintendent Md. Zaker Hossain found a large number of inmates illiterate during a survey on March 13 this year. Following the survey report, district magistrate Md. Abdul Mannan inaugurated five adult literacy centres in the jail. Of the centres, three were set up at the male ward, one at the female ward and the fifth for youths aged between 19 and 20, said the jail superintendent. “Our objective is to make the prisoners literate before their release”, he added. Seeing the success of the programme, several high-ups visited the centres. On July 28, Md. Fazlur Rahman, deputy inspector general (prison), visited the jail and conducted a class to test the performance of the prisoners. The social welfare department recently handed over two sewing machines to the jail authorities as a training aid. During his visit on July 29, the district magistrate asked the jail superintendent to provide advanced learners books from the jail library to the learners so that they could practice and develop the moral value. "The inmates are now educating themselves not only by reading and writing but also morally." he told this correspondent. They are also being imparted with vocational training on repairing electrical and electronic goods and tailoring which would help them to lead normal life after their jail terms, said the magistrate.
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