Myanmar’s ruling military council on Wednesday said it was releasing more than 2,100 political prisoners as a humanitarian gesture. Thousands more remain imprisoned on charges generally involving nonviolent protests or criticism of military rule, which began when the army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. State-run MRTV television reported that the head of Myanmar’s military council, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, had pardoned 2,153 prisoners on the most important Buddhist holy day of the year, marking the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. The releases began Wednesday, but may take a few days to be completed. The identities of those released were not immediately available, but would not include Suu Kyi, who is serving a prison term of 33 years on more than a dozen charges her supporters say were trumped up by the military. Also Read: US urged to create “safe protection zone” in Myanmar to facilitate Rohingya repatriation According to an official announcement on state media, all of the prisoners granted pardon on Wednesday had been convicted under a section of Myanmar’s penal code that makes it a crime to spread comments that create public unrest or fear, or spread false news, and carries a penalty of up to three years in prison. The terms of the pardon warn that if the freed detainees violate the law again, they will have to serve the remainder of their original sentences in addition to whatever term they are given for their new offense. Mass prisoner releases are common on major holidays in Myanmar. The last release of so many political prisoners at one time occurred in July 2021, when 2,296 prisoners were freed. In November last year, several high profile political prisoners, including an Australian academic, a Japanese filmmaker, an ex-British diplomat and an American, were released as part of a broad prisoner amnesty that also freed many local citizens held for protesting the army takeover. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners had said Tuesday that 17,897 people taken into custody since the 2021 army takeover remained in detention. The group keeps detailed tallies of arrests and casualties linked to the repression of the military government. Prisoner releases appear to be efforts by the hard-line military government to soften its image as a major human rights abuser. Last week, former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar’s military to take the initiative in finding a way out of the country’s violent political crisis, including releasing political detainees, after a surprise meeting with Min Aung Hlaing. A statement following the meeting said Ban “supported the international community’s calls for the immediate release by the Myanmar military of all arbitrarily detained prisoners, for constructive dialogue, and for utmost restraint from all parties.” The amnesty also came a day after Min Aung Hlaing met with the visiting foreign minister of China, which has provided key support to his regime since it seized power. MRTV said Tuesday that Qin Gang held talks in the capital, Naypyitaw, with Min Aung Hlaing and other top officials and exchanged views on bilateral relations, Myanmar’s political situation and conditions needed for its stability and development. China has strategic geopolitical and economic interests in Myanmar, its southern neighbor, and is one of the few large nations that has maintained good relations with its military government, which is shunned and sanctioned by many Western nations for its takeover and brutal repression of its opponents. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army took power. Its takeover prompted peaceful protests that security forces suppressed with bloody violence. Violence has since escalated with the rise of armed resistance around the country and major military efforts to suppress it. As of Tuesday, 3,452 civilians had been killed by the security forces since the military takeover, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

A speeding bus lost control and hit a prison van, leaving 17 prisoners and two cops injured in front of Keraniganj Central Jail in Dhaka, police said on Tuesday. The accident occurred around 7:30 pm on Monday at Rajendrapur on Dhaka-Mawa highway when the van changed its lane to enter the jail premises, said Shahjaman, officer-in-charge of South Keraniganj police station. The van was transporting 37 old and new prisoners back to the jail after their court appearance in Dhaka city, said Shahjaman. All the injured were from the prison van, he said. Also read: 26 killed in India bus accident Seriously injured prisoners Atikur,22, Atul,24, Munna,25, Murad,40, and Rumi,42, were admitted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, he said. Besides 12 other prisoners were given primary treatment at the jail hospital while the two cops were taken to Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital. The OC did not provide details about what happened to the bus. Also read: Man killed in Kurigram road accident

The High Court on Thursday ordered the authorities concerned to introduce biometric systems at all jails and police stations across the country, aiming to prevent the jailing of innocent people and identify the real accused. The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after disposing of a rule. The HC also declared the arrest warrant issued against Zahir Uddin in 2017 who was implicated in a sabotage case wrongfully, as illegal. The HC suggested the Home Ministry collect fingerprints, handprints and eyeball scans of the accused, take the photograph of the accused and preserve it and introduce biometric systems in all jails. Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir stood for Zahir Uddin while deputy attorney general Bipul Bagmar represented the state.    The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) last week submitted a report saying Mohammad Zahir Uddin of Basurhat in Noakhali district, was not the actual accused in the case filed with Khilgaon Police Station under the Sabotage Act. The real accused was identified as Modasser Ansari alias Mohaddes, son of Ahsan Ullah of Companiganj upazila of Noakhali district. On March 10 last year, the HC bench stayed the arrest warrant issued against Zahir Uddin by a Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate. The HC also asked the PBI to investigate whether Zahir Uddin was the actual accused in the case or not. Read: Include Bangabandhu's 7th March speech in curricula: HC According to the PBI report, submitted by PBI additional superintendent of police Sarwar Alam, there is no evidence against Zahir and he is not the real accused. During the investigation, PBI found Modasser Ansari as the real accused in the case, the report said. On April 9, 2013, police arrested Modasser Ansari in a case filed with Khilgaon Police Station. Modasser, during his arrest, concealed his actual identity and identified himself as Zahir Uddin, son of Azgar Ali of Basurhat in Noakhali district. On October 31, that year, Modasser secured bail and went into hiding after walking out of the Dhaka Central Jail. Read: All rivers are living entities: HC On April 8, 2014, police submitted chargesheet against Zahir and others in the case.    On October 11, 2017, the Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate issued a warrant for the arrest of Zahir Uddin in the case. Later, Zahir Uddin filed a petition challenging the legality of the arrest warrant.  

‘Overcrowded’ will likely be an understatement for the district jail which is currently housing inmates six times higher than its capacity.