Bangladesh mulls shorter life sentence termsHome Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury speaking at a press briefing

Bangladesh’s government is considering shortening the term of life imprisonment and introducing a reduced sentence period for women, according to an announcement by the Home Adviser.

He said, “There are many problems in our prisons that require reform. Many inmates are elderly and suffer from chronic illnesses, and the cost of their treatment exceeds the current budget.”

Speaking at a press briefing after a meeting of the Core Committee on Law and Order on Sunday (September 14), Home Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said reforms were necessary to address longstanding issues in the prison system, including overcrowding and budget constraints.

The adviser explained that the government was exploring the possibility of reducing the current 30-year term for life sentences to a more “reasonable” duration to allow the release of aged and infirm prisoners.

When asked how many years would be set as the new limit, he replied that no final decision had been made, but discussions were ongoing. “For women, it may be 20 years. For men, perhaps a little longer,” he said, adding that age and the nature of the offence would be taken into account.

He cautioned that early release would be carefully reviewed, particularly in cases where the offender committed the crime at a young age and might pose a repeat-offense risk if released prematurely. “Women are likely to receive greater leniency in this regard,” he added.

Responding to a separate question about recovering looted weapons, the adviser said arms were being recovered regularly, even after rewards were announced.

He stressed that maintaining law and order during the election period had been a key topic of discussion at the meeting.