All they do is kill flies.
The task might sound a bit odd even outright ridiculous, but that is what many convicts in the prisons of the country do as part of their rigorous imprisonment!
That does not mean that they get off with light punishments instead of their real sentences. The jail authorities have the discretion to appoint the comparatively lighter task of killing flies to those prisoners who were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment but are unable to carry out heavier tasks for reasons of ill health or old age.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG-Prisons) Major Shamsul Haider Siddique told The Daily Star that all the convicts, sentenced to rigorous imprisonment, have to work in jails but those unable to do many harder jobs are assigned to less rigorous duties.
There are over 84,000 prisoners in 67 jails across the country, 22,000 of whom are convicts. There are at least 600 convicts in the country who are killing flies in the prisons they live in.
In every jail, there are fly killers numbering between 10 and 60.
Jail sources said every fly killer has to kill the insects for four to six hours a day, except for Fridays. They are assigned to the duty at different spots of a jail, like at a hospital corner, the dining hall, food storage, kitchen, or in the larger wards of a jail.
The fly killers stand in a queue and kill flies with their bare hands, using their palms as traps that smash the flies dead. Some also use fly swatters.
Dhaka Central Jail incarcerates at least 60 fly killers, while Comilla Jail has at least 30, jail sources said.
There are different tasks prisoners in rigorous imprisonment may choose from in order to get their jail terms reduced.
Maj Shamsul Haider Siddique said, "If the convicts in rigorous imprisonment work properly, their jail terms are reduced by three months for every 12 months of their sentences." A proposal was submitted to the government to increase the jail term reduction to four months.
According to the jail code, there are various jobs, the convicts of more than one year, may choose from for jail term reduction. Those who are not in rigorous imprisonment, but are willing to take up extra work to get their jail terms reduced, may also apply to the jail authorities for a job.
The list of jobs have interesting Bangla names for each of them in the prisons, including 'Mat' -- for maintain internal discipline inside the jails, 'Faltu' -- who assist the Mats, 'Tant Chali' -- who work on looms, and 'Mora Chali' -- who make stools out of canes, etc.
Then there are the more conventional tasks as ringing the jail bells according to schedules, working for the manufacturing departments of the jails, the posts of librarians, gardeners, sweepers, cooks, and writers -- who help maintain the prisoners' log.
In the past there were other duties of 'Khori Chali' [wood choppers], and of donating blood, which are no more.
Jail officials said 'Khori Chali' was dropped from the list recently due to the danger associated with making axes available to inmates.
Maj Shamsul Haider Siddique explained that the tasks are distributed among the convicts taking into consideration the prisoners' academic qualifications, physical conditions, age and the categories of criminal offences they are convicted of.
According to the jail sources, VIP convicts are assigned duties with special considerations.
Maj Haider said among the VIP convicts, former home minister Mohammad Nasim and former state minister for civil aviation and tourism Mir Nasir were assigned as librarians while former state minister Aman Ullah Aman, Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu, and Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan were assigned as gardeners.