More than 700 inmates, including death row convicts and militants, remain at large around three months after they escaped from different prisons during and after the July-August mass uprising.

More than 2,200 prisoners escaped on and after August 5, and around 1,500 have so far been rearrested, said Brig Gen Syed Mohammad Motaher Hossain, inspector general of prisons, during a press briefing at Prisons Headquarters yesterday.

The escaped prisoners include 70 militants, death row convicts, and individuals accused in sensational cases, he said, adding that efforts to recapture them are underway, he added.

In response to a query, Motaher identified 17 out of 69 prisons across the country as at risk of collapse since these are very old with vulnerable infrastructure.

The government is aware of this issue, and the process of rebuilding some of these prisons is already underway, he said.

Since August 5, as many as 174 prisoners linked to militant outfits, including JMB, and 11 top criminals have been released on bail, the IG prisons said in response to another query

"The release of prisoners is entirely under the jurisdiction of the court," he said.

Motaher said they have implemented a series of reformative measures to improve conditions at prisons, including better meals with higher protein levels to ensure better nutrition, better medical services and security.

High-risk prisoners are kept in specialised cells equipped with mobile phone jammers. Officials search those cells regularly, he said, adding that CCTV cameras have been installed in some cells to monitor illegal activities.

The prison authorities are going to deploy dog squads in some prisons to prevent the entry of drugs, he added.

The prisons chief said they are going to change their logo, as it contains a boat symbol, following demands from different quarters and the general public.

Responding to a query about the attack on a former lawmaker inmate at BSMMU under jail custody, the IG prisons said the incident occurred due to security lapses. However, there were prison guards present, and due to their intervention, the incident did not escalate further.

"We have taken an important initiative to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. We are planning for a Central Prisons Hospital. If it is built, prisoners will be treated there, and we will not need to send them to government hospitals," he said.