At least six inmates were killed in a clash between two groups of inmates in Jamalpur District Jail, authorities said on Friday.
Moreover, district jailer and seven prison guards were injured in the clash on Thursday afternoon.
The deceased were Arman, Raihan, Shyamal, Fazle Rabbi Babu, Jasim and Rahat—all residents of Jamalpur Sadar Upazila.
Abu Fattah, the jailer of the district jail, said two groups of inmates locked into clashes inside the jail on Thursday afternoon and six of them died in this connection.
The jailer, however, didn’t elaborate on how they died.
After bringing the situation under control, the inmates beat the jailer, held him captive and tried to escape from the jail, he said.
The inmates vandalised two buildings within the prison, the jailer's office, and one of the main gates. They also set fire to several parts of the facility, taking 14 prison guards hostage in the process, he said.
At one stage, the prison guards responded by firing warning shots to regain control of the situation, the jailer said.
In response to the crisis, the Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, and fire service were deployed in the jail to restore order. The hostages were released later that night, and by 3am, prison authorities had regained full control of the facility, jailer Fattah said.
Four critically injured inmates and three prison guards were admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital and Jamalpur General Hospital for treatment. The jailer confirmed that no prisoners managed to escape during the incident.
The jailer informed that the Public Works Department has already begun repairs on the damaged gates and other structures inside the prison.
Jamalpur District Jail currently houses 669 inmates, of whom 100 are convicted prisoners. Authorities have confirmed that there are no militants among the prison population.
