At least 12 inmates have been killed and hundreds have escaped following twin jailbreaks in Bangladesh.
This development comes days after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
An interim government is grappling with law and order issues, exacerbated by a police strike that began after Hasina’s abrupt resignation and departure abroad after 15 years in power.
The prison breaks occurred this week north of the capital, Dhaka, and are the latest in a series of jailbreaks amid widespread unrest leading up to Hasina’s removal.
On Thursday, six convicts were killed at Jamapur Prison after escapees attacked guards with iron rods and sharp weapons, setting fire to the warden’s office and attempting to break out with all 600 prisoners.
Fatah stated that guards were forced to open fire to control the situation, resulting in the deaths of six inmates, one of whom was stabbed.
Guards successfully contained the attack before any prisoners could escape.
On Tuesday, another six inmates were killed during a mass breakout at Kashimpur High-Security Prison, located about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Dhaka.
According to warden Lutfor Rahman, the prisoners used iron tools and rebar rods to assault guards and breached the prison’s main gate, prompting soldiers and guards to open fire.
Rahman confirmed that 203 prisoners managed to escape, though none of the high-profile inmates, including Islamist extremists and murderers, were able to flee their cells.
Since protests against Hasina’s government began last month, there have been numerous jailbreaks across Bangladesh.
In July, over 800 prisoners escaped from a jail in Narsingdi when a mob attacked and set fire to the British colonial-era facility. On the day of Hasina’s ouster, more than 500 inmates fled a jail in Sherpur district.
The unrest has resulted in over 450 deaths, including many police officers, during weeks of clashes between police and protesters.
Police unions have declared a strike and are demanding assurances for their safety before resuming duty. More than half of the country’s police stations have since reopened.