By Halim Mohammad (Dhaka Bureau)
Caught in a web of legal complexities, delayed judicial processes, and severe infrastructural limitations, Child Development Centers in Bangladesh (formerly known as juvenile correction homes) are facing an acute crisis. Operating at more than double their intended capacity, these facilities are grappling with a severe humanitarian situation. Severe overcrowding, intense heat, and congested living conditions have left resident children enduring inhumane suffering. Even more concerning, due to loopholes in child laws and complexities surrounding age determination, these juvenile facilities are seeing a growing presence of adults and young adults- a factor that severely jeopardizes the safety and psychological development of younger inmates.
These troubling findings were recently highlighted in a research report titled ‘Children Act, 2013: Doubts, Inconsistencies, and Confusion’ published by the Law Commission of Bangladesh.
Severe Overcrowding and Infrastructure Strain
According to field inspections by the Law Commission and recent reports, the country’s two primary facilities for boys- located in Gazipur and Jessore- are housing detainees far beyond their official capacity.
* Gazipur Child Development Center (Boys): Despite an official capacity of 300 (and an infrastructural capacity of just 200), the facility currently houses 578 children and young adults. Recent reports indicate that the total inmate population has spiked to around 780. Former inmates report that rooms designed to hold a maximum of 10 people are routinely crammed with 15 to 20 children.
* Jessore Child Development Center (Boys): Housing 295 residents against a capacity of 300, this facility has 69 inmates whose official ages are completely unrecorded.
* Gazipur Child Development Center (Girls): As the country’s sole center for girls with a capacity of 150, it currently holds 92 residents, 56 of whom are children in conflict or contact with the law.
Living in such packed quarters during hot weather poses extreme health risks and forces these children into inhumane conditions, fundamentally undermining the primary objective of social and psychological rehabilitation.
Presence of Young Adults and Legal Bottlenecks
Data from the Law Commission reveals that at least 70 residents across these centers have already crossed the age of 18 (53 at Gazipur Boys, 16 at Jessore Boys, and 1 at Gazipur Girls). Furthermore, 91 inmates at the Gazipur Boys facility have no recorded age. In reality, young adults aged 19 to 20 are frequently housed alongside young minors.
A key factor behind this phenomenon is the delay in judicial proceedings combined with legal definitions. Supreme Court Appellate Division lawyer Barrister Kumar Debul Dey explains, ‘Under the law and judicial rulings, if a person is a minor on the date of the offense, they must be treated as a child in court proceedings, even if the trial takes place 10 or 20 years later.’ As a result, even as detainees grow into adulthood, they remain in child development centers while their cases remain pending.
However, a legal mechanism exists to transfer detainees to standard adult prisons once they turn 18. Senior Jail Super Farooq Ahmed of Dhaka Central Jail noted that when a resident turns 18, the Social Services department running the facility files an application with the court. Upon receiving a court order, the inmate is subsequently transferred to an adult prison- a procedure carried out on a routine basis.
Serious Offenses and the Changing Nature of Reformatories
Statistics from these centers also reflect a significant number of inmates facing serious criminal charges:
* Murder Accusations: A total of 214 residents across the facilities face murder charges- 97 at Gazipur Boys, 108 at Jessore Boys, and 9 at the Girls’ center.
* Other Offenses: A substantial number of detainees are also awaiting trial under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, narcotics control laws, and other sections of the penal code.
Human rights experts warn that co-housing older adults accused of grave crimes with young children poses a serious threat to the psychological well-being and successful rehabilitation of younger inmates.
Government Response and the Road Ahead
Acknowledging the severe humanitarian and logistical challenges, the Government of Bangladesh has announced plans to modernize these facilities. During a recent visit to the Gazipur Boys Center, Minister for Social Welfare Professor Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain announced that the facility will be upgraded to a national-level center.
Key objectives outlined by the government include:
* Expanding the physical capacity of the centers.
* Strengthening technical training, mental healthcare services, and rehabilitation programs.
* Ensuring a safe environment to reintegrate children into mainstream society away from criminal influences.
Human rights advocates emphasize that alongside expanding physical infrastructure, speeding up judicial trials for minors and establishing dedicated, separate units for detainees over the age of 18 remain crucial steps to resolving the ongoing crisis.
Halim Mohammad: Senior Journalist and Contributor, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.
