Justice delayed in ‘women and children’ tribunals
The Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals were created to deliver quick justice in cases of violence against women and children.
But years after their formation, the very courts designed for speedy trials are now struggling under a heavy backlog, leaving survivors, families and witnesses trapped in a long and exhausting legal process.
The scale of the pressure is stark. According to High Court data cited in media reports, 132,107 cases were pending in 99 Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals across Bangladesh as of December 31, 2025. Of these, 30,365 cases had remained pending for more than five years. Dhaka’s nine tribunals alone had 11,567 pending cases, including 3,091 cases older than five years.
The problem is growing at a time when violence against women and children continues to rise. Police Headquarters data showed that 21,939 cases were filed in 2025 under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, up from 17,571 in 2024. Rape-related cases rose from 5,566 in 2024 to 7,068 in 2025. Of the 2025 rape victims, 5,171 were adult women and 1,897 were children.
The law promises speed. Cases under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act are supposed to be completed within a fixed timeframe, and recent legal changes have sought to shorten the trial period in rape cases. But in practice, hearings are often delayed by missing witnesses, incomplete investigation reports, weak evidence collection, shortage of judges and the additional burden placed on the same tribunals.
For survivors, the delay is not just a legal problem. It is a second trauma. Many have to appear repeatedly in court, travel from distant areas, face social stigma, and live with threats or pressure from accused persons and their families. Families often lose money, time and confidence. Some victims eventually stop appearing, while witnesses become unwilling or afraid to testify.
The burden does not end there. In many districts, judges of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals also perform the duties of Children’s Courts. Although the Children Act, 2013 provides for separate children’s courts in every district, separate courts have not been fully established. Supreme Court officials have said this additional responsibility puts extra pressure on tribunal judges and slows disposal of cases.
Speaking to New Nation, Dipti Shikder of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad has said the 180-day trial deadline remains symbolic if structural enforcement is absent. She stressed that witness protection is essential.
Advocate Badrul Hasan Kachi told New Nation that Bangladesh still does not have a specific witness protection law.
“Witness absence is one of the biggest reasons trials collapse into delay. In some cases, courts issue repeated summons and even warrants, but witnesses do not appear. Police stations sometimes fail to produce witnesses or report that they did not receive court orders on time. Every missed witness means another date, another delay, and another burden on the survivor.”
Forensic weakness is another barrier. Lawyers and rights workers say evidence in sexual violence cases must be collected quickly and properly. But delays in medical examination, DNA testing, police investigation and charge-sheet submission weaken prosecution. Once evidence becomes weak, trials become longer and conviction becomes harder.
The backlog also affects public trust. When people see that even serious cases remain unresolved for years, many families hesitate to file cases. Some choose informal settlement, social arbitration or silence. This allows violence to remain hidden and offenders to remain powerful.
Legal reforms have been introduced, including shorter investigation and trial timelines in rape cases and provisions allowing courts to proceed on medical certificates where DNA reports are not essential. But experts warn that deadlines on paper will fail unless tribunals get enough judges, prosecutors, court staff, forensic support and digital case-tracking systems.
The crisis now demands a practical response: more tribunals where needed, separate children’s courts, witness protection, stronger prosecution, faster forensic services and strict monitoring of old cases. Without these, the backlog will continue to turn a speedy-trial law into a waiting room for justice.
For thousands of survivors, the question is no longer whether the law exists. It does. The question is whether the justice system can deliver before delay destroys the case, the evidence and the survivor’s hope.
