During a protest at Gazipur's Kashimpur High Security Central Jail, 209 prisoners have managed to escape by taking the prison guards hostage.

Six people were killed during the incident, including three militants, as guards fired shots to prevent the escape, according to prison sources.

The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon when a group of people started protesting in front of the jail.

Local sources said some prisoners held a prison guard hostage and protested for the release of several detainees. The guards tried to calm them down but failed.

Hearing about the protest, relatives of the prisoners gathered at the gate.

At one point, the protesters set fire to a jute warehouse outside the jail.

Around 1:30pm, military personnel arrived at the prison and brought the situation under control. The soldiers then dispersed the protesters by chasing them away.

Subrata Kumar Bala, superintendent of Kashimpur High-Security Central Jail, said that when some prisoners began protesting for the release of detainees, many others climbed ladders inside and attempted to escape over the wall.

“The guards tried to control the situation but failed. Later, in the interest of security, the guards fired shots, resulting in the deaths of six people,” he added.

The bodies of the deceased were recovered and sent to the morgue of Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, Subrata said.

As of Wednesday morning, additional military personnel have been deployed at Kashimpur Jail. The situation is currently under control.