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Fresh air for jail kids

Dhaka Central Jail's praiseworthy plan to take children to parks and recreational centres

Shahnaz Parveen
From now on children living with their detained mothers in the Dhaka Central Jail will get a chance to visit parks and other recreational centres.
The jail authorities have planned to arrange the first outing for them to Dhaka Shishu Parkin the first week of Ramadan (early September). Similar trips will be organised in phases for children living in other jails across the country.
DIG (Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told Star City that the initiative has been taken
for the development of mental heal tit of those children.
"After a day out we hope the children would be cheerful, which will make the detained mothers happy too. The programme is aimed at integrating these children into the normal social life," he said.
Accompanied by the jail's social worker, female wardens and deputy jailor, the children will spend a day at the children's park. The authorities will pay for the tickets, expenses of rides, balloons and food, Siddiqui said.
If the programme succeeds the children will be taken to
Dhaka Zoo and other recreational centres. The outings will be organised twice a month.
All expenses of the trip, including the rent of vehicles for transport will be met by the income of Kara Bakery and the money earned from the sale of handicraft items made by the detainees, Siddiqui said.
At present 77 unfortunate children live with their detained mothers in the Dhaka Centra] Jail where the number of female prisoners is around 500.
The total number of children living in jailhouses across the county as of Monday was 487
while the number of female prisoners was around 3,100, The number however changes almost every day.
Dhaka Central Jail is the largest among the total 67 jails in Bangladesh, which is located on 36 acres of land on Nazimuddin Road in Old Dhaka.
Female prisoners having 1 to 6 years old children are allowed to keep their children inside the jail. Although not guilty of any crime these children have no other option but to live with their detained mothers in the jailhouses.
After reaching the age of 6 years these children are sent outside. Depending on the mother's wish they either live with relatives or end up in orphanages.
In Dhaka Central Jail the children remain at the day care centre during the daytime run by the jail authorities. They spend time playing, trying out books and watching television. They meet their mothers during every mealtime where the mothers are given a chance to feed the children.
The detained mothers and their children also get a chance to reunite every afternoon in the jailhouse lawn. At night the children sleep in a separate room. A female social worker of the jail keeps an eye on the entire process.
Fathers of the children are allowed to meet them once a month.
The jail authorities are considering establishing day care centres in other jails throughout the country, Siddiqui mentioned.