THE over-crowded Chittagong Central Jail was the scene of a riotous flare-up between the prisoners and wardens on Sunday afternoon. The chaos continued for more than two hours in which around fifty people were injured, including some prison guards. The trouble erupted when the city's notorious terrorist Kader was attacked by the followers of two Shibir terrorists — Nasir and Iqbal. Kader was alleged to have been stabbed by the followers of his opponents when he was returning from the jail visiting room with the result that there was an immediate backlash within the prison compound. Recently Nasir was brought from Comilla jail to appear in some cases at the Chittagong court. These groups had previous enmities and Sunday's proximity between them fuelled the fire. Knowing the past of these people the Jail officials should have taken precautions to keep them at bay.

When out of jail these people try to expand their sphere of influence to perpetrate their reign of terror on peaccloving citizens and when in jail they tiy to wield influence over their followers in cohorts with prison employees. Conditions in jails around the country are far from being normal. The country has seen serious troubles in prisons quite a few times over. We have had firm assurances from the government for jail reform but that still remains a far cry. This is too pressing a task to be left unattended anymore.