The project, which has not yet been approved by the government, aims to set up factories first in major prisons before expanding to all Bangladesh's 68 jails, deputy national prison chief Iftekharul Islam said.

"The aim is to impart life skills to the country's prisoners. Garment jobs would also help them earn a good amount of money that will be handy when they finish their term," he told AFP.

The home ministry, which oversees the country's prisons, is in favour of the plan, Islam said, which will need formal approval from the government before coming into effect.

Bangladesh has a prison population of more than 60,000 people including nearly 1,000 inmates on death row. The country's prisons are chronically overcrowded, rights groups say.

Islam said most prisons already had small workshops where convicts make craft items for sale, but said producing clothes, which will be sold in local markets and not exported, would be more financially rewarding.

Bangladesh is the world's third-largest garment exporter after China and Turkey with export shipments surging more than 40 percent to 15 billion dollars over the last ten months.

But local garment factories say they now face shortages of workers as many would rather seek better-paying jobs in the Middle East than work in a garment factory where the basic salary is just 45 dollars a month.

Islam said prisoners would be trained by top garment professionals so that they can find jobs in the country's factories once they leave prison.