Staff Correspondent :
Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Md. Raihan Kabir has said that millions of cases are currently pending in courts across the country. If minor disputes at the village level are resolved through Village Courts, the overall pressure on the formal courts will decrease significantly. He made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a workshop on
developing a coordinated action plan participated in by government and non-government organizations to increase public awareness about Village Courts in Narayanganj. The workshop was held on Tuesday (December 2) at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office under the “Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh, Phase 3”
project. He sought the cooperation of journalists in raising awareness about Village Courts and added, “Having a Village Court helps reduce bias. If proper procedures are not followed, people will raise allegations of favoritism. For even small incidents, we immediately rush to the police station. In many cases, the police themselves are not aware that such matters can be resolved by the Village Court.”
He further explained that the Union Parishad Chairman will serve as the judge of the Village Court. If the chairman is absent, a more qualified member can act as the judge. Village Courts can deliver verdicts involving claims of up to 300,000 taka. Public awareness must be created on this issue, and extensive publicity is needed. The workshop was moderated by Naeema Islam, Acting DDLG. Other speakers included Assistant Superintendent of Police Tariq Al Mehdi, Dr. Mehedi Hasan from the Civil Surgeon’s Office, Md. Asadur Rahman, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Services, Kamruzzaman Roman, District Information Officer, Senior Assistant Commissioner T.M. Rahsin Kabir, Hasina Momtaz, Deputy Director of
the Department of Youth Development, and representatives from the
Women’s Affairs Department. District Manager Firoza Begum Jhumur presented the progress review and future action plans for Village Court activities in Narayanganj district for July 2024 to June 2025. Senior Assistant Commissioner T.M. Rahsin Kabir also gave a detailed presentation on Village Courts, including their structure, jurisdiction, fines, and how they can assist citizens. Among those present at the workshop were Arif Mihir, Chairman of Green for Peace; Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman of Prabhat Social Welfare Association; Shahidullah Russell, President of Narayanganj District Reporters Unity; Sharif Sumon, District Correspondent of Desh Rupantor; Mushtaq Ahmed Shawon, Staff Correspondent of The New Nation; Azmir Islam, District Correspondent of Mohona TV; Sonia Dewan Preeti, Editor of Dhaka News; Anisul Haque Hira, Editor of Today’s Nir Bangla; Journalist Jahangir
