Govt to expand village courts to ensure justice for all

The government has taken the necessary steps to implement the third phase of the programme on 'Activating Village Courts' across the country to make sure justice is more accessible, fair, and affordable for the poor, women, and vulnerable groups, LGRD Minister Md Tajul Islam said, reports bdnews24.com.
"The government is committed to ensuring the people's right to get justice and curb the backlog of cases in the court by activating village courts. It takes the judicial service to the rural people in the quickest possible time," he said.
The minister came up with the remarks while speaking at a national workshop on 'The Impact of the Village Court Project and the Way Forward' at the InterContinental Hotel in the city on Wednesday.
He mentioned a case situation that was resolved within 22 days by the village court, which could have taken over 22 months if it went to a higher court.
Phase II of the Activating Village Courts Project facilitates local authorities in making village courts functional at 1,080 unions with financial support and a tri-partnership with the EU, UNDP and the Bangladesh government. In phase II, 236,868 cases have been reported, of which 30 per cent were by women. Almost 200,000 cases were resolved, benefiting 473,736 people.