Inmates at Kashimpur Central Jail-2 are earning between Tk 5,000 and Tk 7,000 a month by working in prison-based industries, as authorities seek to turn correctional facilities into centres for vocational training and rehabilitation.

The inmates are involved in manufacturing soap, garments and furniture, as well as printing, notebook and register production and bakery operations. They receive a share of the profits generated from product sales, with 50% of the profits allocated to them.

The initiative aims to equip prisoners with practical skills and work experience that could help them secure employment or start small businesses after their release. They can use their earnings for personal expenses or send money to their families.

One of the programme’s key ventures is a soap factory producing three varieties under the brand name Prison Fresh Soap. Inaugurated on 6 July this year, the facility has automated machinery with a production capacity of around 1,500 bars per hour. Each bar has an initial selling price of Tk 50.

Inmates take part in different stages of production, including mixing raw materials and chemicals, processing the mixture through a three-roll mill, shaping the soap, stamping, packaging and preparing it for distribution.

Kashimpur Central Jail-2 currently houses 5,569 inmates, of whom 149 are involved in various production activities, according to jail authorities.

Jail Superintendent Mohammad Arifur Rahman said the programme provides inmates with practical experience in machinery operation, production management, quality control, packaging and industrial safety.

Such skills could improve their employment prospects after release, particularly in soap manufacturing, cosmetics and other industrial sectors, he said.

Additional Inspector General of Prisons Colonel Mesbahul Alam Salim said the initiative was designed to make inmates financially self-reliant while equipping them with practical skills.

He said prisoners at the facility were engaged in manufacturing soap, clothing and furniture, as well as working in bakery and printing units.

The programme is part of a broader government development plan, with authorities considering the gradual introduction of similar production-based activities in other prisons across the country.

Mohammad Masud Hasan Jewel, superintendent (logistics and media) at the Directorate of Prisons, said the objective was to transform prisons from detention facilities into centres for training, productivity and employment.

He said the programme focuses on rehabilitation, skills development and creating opportunities for inmates to earn a livelihood after completing their sentences.

The Directorate of Prisons estimates that the country’s 75 prisons collectively require around 100,000 bars of soap – 90,000 for inmates and 10,000 for prison officials and employees.

Prison Fresh Soap will initially be supplied to meet the internal demand of correctional facilities. Authorities plan to expand sales in the open market once those requirements are met.

The initiative is expected to reduce the government’s reliance on externally purchased soap and generate savings. Officials also believe expanded prison-based manufacturing could create additional revenue to improve prison facilities.

Beyond financial benefits, the programme is intended to help inmates develop technical knowledge, workplace discipline, teamwork and a sense of responsibility.

Bangladesh’s prison system dates back to 1788, when a detention facility known as a criminal ward was established in Chawkbazar, Old Dhaka, during British rule.

The system expanded over the following decades, with prisons established in district and sub-divisional headquarters in 1836 and a coordinated prison management structure introduced in 1864.

Authorities say the current initiative reflects a shift towards placing greater emphasis on productivity, vocational training and rehabilitation within the country’s prison system.