Bangladesh plans to release 3,000 prisoners amid coronavirus fears

Bangladesh is planning to release 3,000 prisoners, who are facing trials in different cases, amid fears of coronavirus outbreak in crowded jails, according to a media report.

The jail authority has sent a proposal regarding the matter to the Home Ministry along with a list of the inmates, bdnews24.com reported.

The proposal was sent as per the home ministry's order in light of the coronavirus outbreak. We are considering whether those who await trials for bailable offences can be released on bail, Additional Inspector General (IG) of Prisons Abrar Hossain told bdnews24.com on Wednesday.

There are about 3,000 people who are in jail for minor offences and we have sent their names to the ministry, he said. If approved by the Home Ministry, the proposal will then be forwarded to the law ministry. Finally, it will be placed before the courts if the law ministry does not have any objection, the report said.

On Thursday, Bangladesh confirmed two more cases of the novel coronavirus, raising the tally of infections to 56. The death toll from the virus remains unchanged at six, Habibur Rahman, a director of the health directorate, said.

A total of 141 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, out which two returned positive results, according to the health directorate. Both the patients are men, one of whom is aged between 30 and 40 while the other is between 70 and 80.