The High Court (HC) today ordered the concerned authorities to appoint doctors to the vacant posts in the prisons of the country.

A High Court Division Bench comprising Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Mohammad Ali passed the order this morning.

The health secretary, the secretary of the security services department of the home ministry and the prison authorities have been asked to implement this order by December 11.

In an order dated June 23, 2019, the court issued a rule ordering the jail authority to submit a list of inmate capacity, number of inmates and doctors and vacancies for the post of doctors in all prisons across the country.

According to that order, the prison authority reported in November 2019 that there are only 10 doctors against 141 posts in 68 prisons of the country.

After seeing the report, the High Court ordered the appointment of doctors in the prisons.

On September 21, 2021, it was reported that out of 141 vacant posts, a total number of 112 doctors have been appointed in 68 prisons of the country.

After completing the hearing today, the court ordered prompt action in appointing doctors in the remaining vacant posts.