A Supreme Court lawyer today filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its directive on the authorities concerned of the government to take necessary steps to protect 89,000 prisoners and the prison staff from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir submitted the petition as a public interest litigation to the High Court requesting it to order the authorities to take measures to maintain social distancing among the prisoners and prison staff and other health guidelines.

In the petition, he prayed to the High Court to direct the inspector general of prisons to submit a report to the court on the preparedness and steps taken in order to protect the prisoners detained in the jails and prison staff across the country from coronavirus outbreak. 

Advocate Shishir Manir said in the writ petition that there are reportedly around 89,000 prisoners in 68 prisons across the country where the accommodation capacity is for 41,244 prisoners.

Twenty-three prison guards and two inmates have tested positive for coronavirus and a prisoner in Sylhet Central Jail has died with infection, Shishir Manir said in the petition.  

He also said in the petition that the jail authorities are responsible to ensure safety and health of the prisoners as they have no liberty in jails.

Shishir Manir told The Daily Star that the officials concerned will inform him when the High Court will hold hearing on the writ petition.