A total of 6,277 Indians are languishing in foreign jails and Bangladesh is the second in the list after Saudi Arabia where 1,116 Indians are in jails.

Bangladesh is followed by the United Arab Emirates where 825 Indians are behind the bars. Other countries with relatively high number of Indian prisoners are Singapore (791), Malaysia (545) and Britain (239).

Gulf region account for higher number of Indian prisoners because a large number of Indian citizens work there.

Ahmed said the Indian government through its mission abroad makes all possible efforts to get the Indian nationals released quickly and provide them with necessary assistance, including requesting speedy trials, seeking remission of sentence and consular access to the detainees and prisoners.

The government also provides guidance in legal and other means, interacting with their relatives in India, ensuring fair treatment to the prisoners in jails abroad and facilitating repatriation of released prisoners to India, he added.