As part of preventing Covid-19 epidemic, the online training on Covid-19 Prevention and Stress Management for doctors, health workers and general staff working in 68 prisons across the country ended recently. The training titled ‘Covid-19 Preparedness and Stress Management’ was jointly organized by the Bangladesh Prisons Department and GIZ Bangladesh. The training is implemented by-Dhaka Ahsania Mission under “Improvement of the Real Situation of Overcrowding in Prison in Bangladesh (IRSOP)” project.

The training started on July 1, 2020 and provided training to 341 prison officers and employees through a total of 173 batches. The curriculum for the training was jointly developed by the Dhaka Ahsania Mission and the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC).

While speaking as the chief guest Additional Secretary of the Security Services Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs Md. Khairul Alam Sheikh said, under the direction of Prime Minister and the dedicated efforts and timely steps of Home Minister, the Security Services Department of the Ministry took various steps at the outset of Corona epidemic and has played very important role. The training has also increased the morale of the prison staffs to deal with the current situation as well as health protection.

The Department of Prisons will continue such training activities in the future and the Department of Security Services will provide necessary cooperation in this regard.

Special guest on the occasion, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Md. Mominur Rahman Mamun said, “Since the beginning of the epidemic, we have realized the need for in-house doctors, health workers and general staff to be trained on what to do to prevent COVID-19 and stress management.” As a result, Dhaka Ahsania Mission in collaboration with GIZ Bangladesh conducted the training in 68 prisons of the country in phases.’’

Promita Sengupta, Head of Programs, Rule of Law Program at GIZ Bangladesh said, the steps taken by the Government of Bangladesh in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law to revise existing prison law and with GIZ’s technical assistance would help turn prisons into correctional facilities.”

Iqbal Masud, Director, Health and Wash Sector, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, welcomed the participants and spoke about the achievements of the training.

Muhammad Rafiquzzaman, Governance Advisor and Deputy Team Leader, Governance Team, FCDO and Simona Cervi, Detention Team Leader of the International Committee for the Red Cross were also present as special guests.

All the trainees participating in the training were given training modules and certificates. In addition, personal protective equipments (Re-usable full gown set, Gloves, masks, goggles and IR thermometers) has been provided to the prison staffs through Prison Department beside this online training on Covid-19 through the “Improvement of the Real Situation of Overcrowding in Prison in Bangladesh (IRSOP)” project implemented by the Dhaka Ahsania Mission and GIZ Bangladesh.