A legal facility known as probation has successfully helped 1,551 minor offenders in Chattogram reform and return to normal life without serving prison time since the probation office was established at the Chattogram Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in 2016. According to the office records, 992 individuals are currently under supervision—the highest handled by a single office in the country—while 559 have successfully completed their conditions and been released.
The legal mechanism suspends imprisonment, allowing offenders to stay with their families under court-supervised conditions governed by the Probation of Offenders Ordinance, 1960 and the Children Act, 2013.
Officials highlight that the system effectively reduces prison overcrowding, lowers recidivism rates, and prevents minor offenders from interacting with hardened criminals, though challenges such as manpower shortages and limited funding remain. Experts and legal advocates have called for greater awareness, expanded use of the system, and increased recruitment of probation officers to maximize its humanitarian and social benefits.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by national Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
