Tuberculosis has strongly spread out in jails of Bangladesh. Overpopulation in jails is the prime cause for spreading TB among prisoners. Although countless prisoners were suffering in TB for quite a long time, yet could not be detected for lacking of diagnosis. In this scenario, govt.’s National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) has brought all jails of the country under TB treatment. In ten major jails of the country including Chittagong jail, private organizations, NGOs are doing all TB related tests to diagnose the disease under NTP. They are also giving treatment at the same time in these jails. Dhaka Central Jail Hospital’s pharmacists have been trained to detect TB. Treatment is also available. Through DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment System) prisoners with TB get treatment in jails. Besides this, in all district jails of the country TB related tests and treatment are given by districts civil surgeon’s office. Chittagong jail which is one of the biggest in the country has 7000 prisoners. Although prisoners had TB before; but the treatment was not easy to get. The patients also had lack of awareness.

BRAC started to work in Chittagong jail with the help of NTP in 1st January, 2005. They are pointing dense population as the key reason for burgeoning TB in jails. Jail authority has allocated a room for them for TB detection and treatment services. Under BRAC’s supervision, prisoners’ cough is tested and treatments are given when TB is detected. BRAC’s Programme Director Plato Talukdar of Chittagong Jail has given information about TB patients and their treatment system in jail. According to him, BRAC is working in Chittagong Jail for over two years. At first they collect cough from vulnerable prisoners. Later those are tested in jail-laboratory. They have tested about 5000 samples so far and found more than 200 TB patients. But they still have not got any MDR (Multi Drug Resistance) patients. Laboratory inside Chittagong jail has all the facilities for TB tests and treatment process. Medicines are given immediately whenever TB is diagnosed. Prisoners also cooperate. Already 50 TB patients have completed taking in particular dose of TB under DOTS supervision. They are now cured from TB. In Chittagong jail 150 more TB patients are under treatment process. Two duty doctors, Dr. Mustafizur Rahman and Dr. Uday Shankar Chakma in Jail Hospital refer patients with doubt to BRAC centre. They are actually doing the great cooperation to continue BRAC’s work. BRAC’s laboratory has all the apparatus for testing purpose including microscope. Medicines are supplied to the patients free of charge. Medical technologist of Jail Hospital Mr. Artho Darchi Dewan and Pharmacist Mr. Fakhruzzaman Chowdhury help BRAC’s Program Organizer in different ways. Mr. Plato also added that awareness among prisoners has increased a lot. Jail authority discusses about TB among prisoners in their meetings and they manage to send these patients for treatment.

Cittagong Jail Super has informed us that patients with TB in jail are getting treatment through BRAC. Those who need to stay separated; they are kept back so that no one can get infected through them.
A problem was also indicated by Mr. Plato regarding TB patients in jail. Problem arises when a TB patient who is under treatment gets parole and leave. It becomes a hazard to investigate whether he/she is taking medicine or not. If they wish, patients are referred to their own place for treatment.


Newspaper: Janakantha (National)
Date of publication: 17th June, 2007
Translated by: Mir Laila Ferdous