Magura, Nov. 10 -- Nearly four decades have passed since the construction of Mohammadpur sub-jail in Magura district, yet the facility has never housed a single inmate.

Built with the vision of decentralising judicial and correctional services, the complex today stands as a silent monument to bureaucratic inertia and policy neglect, officials said.

Located in Bauijani village under Mohammadpur upazila, the sub-jail was constructed in 1985 during the regime of military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad.

It was part of a wider plan to establish courts and detention facilities at upazila level, aimed at easing the burden on district jails and expediting the judicial process.

The project, however, was abruptly shelved following a change in go...