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At least 16 people have been injured as prison guards fired rubber bullets to control a revolt by inmates at Gazipur District Jail.
The incident occurred around 11:00 am on Thursday when inmates, primarily those involved in drug and murder cases, began a protest demanding their release.
As the protest intensified, jail guards fired rubber bullets to regain control, reports bdnews24.com.
Although the situation has now stabilised, the identities of the injured individuals have not yet been released.
Gazipur District Jail is located adjacent to the Joydevpur-Dhaka road.
Reports of prisoner protests have been emerging from various jails across the country in recent days.
The unrest in Gazipur jail started when the prisoners, seeing opposition politicians and student protesters being released on bail, began their own protests demanding freedom, according to the authorities.
To prevent the prisoners from escaping, prison guards fired rubber bullets, injuring 13 inmates and 3 guards.
The situation was later brought under control by army personnel.
Maksuda Akhter, a medical officer at Gazipur District Jail, said rubber bullets caused several inmates to lose consciousness temporarily, but they regained their senses after first aid.
She said, “Many of the injured sustained rubber bullet wounds and I’ve provided dressing for them.”
“Then I saw one after another arriving. Some had injuries to their eyes, others to their heads, and some to their legs.”
“Many required stitches, and some might need to be sent to government hospitals for further treatment,” she added.
Efforts to obtain comments from responsible officials have so far been unsuccessful.