Staff Reporter:
Strengthening the village court system can significantly reduce case backlogs in traditional courts, speakers said at an exchange meeting with members of the Law Reporters Forum (LRF) in the capital on Wednesday.
The meeting, held at Hotel Intercontinental, was organised under the Village Courts Activation (Phase III) Project of the Local Government Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union (EU).
Speakers stressed that an effective village court system would ease the pressure on regular courts while ensuring quick and cost-effective dispute resolution at the grassroots level. They called upon journalists to play a proactive role in raising public awareness about village courts and their benefits.
The village court system currently operates under the Village Courts Act, 2006 and the Village Courts Rules, 2016.
Currently, village courts are functional in 61 districts across the country, resolving small-scale disputes within communities. Strengthening this mechanism, speakers noted, not only saves time and money for litigants but also helps preserve social harmony.
The event was inaugurated by Suraiya Akhter Jahan, Additional Secretary of the Local Government Division and National Project Director of the Village Courts Project. Bibhesh Chakraborty, National Project Coordinator, delivered the welcome address, while Advocate Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury, Legal Analyst, presented details of the Village Courts Act.
Special guests included Mahfuza Akhter, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Khandaker Md. Nazmul Huda Shamim, Joint Secretary of the Local Government Division; and Hasan Javed, President of the Law Reporters Forum and Special Correspondent of NTV. Tanvir Mahmud, Senior Governance Specialist at UNDP, also gave a welcome speech.
Mahfuza Akhter described the village court system as a vital development initiative that directly benefits marginalised communities. She emphasised that the media is a powerful tool for ensuring that such government services reach people at their doorsteps, urging journalists to highlight success stories and challenges.
LRF President Hasan Javed said the Forum, since its founding in 2001, has worked responsibly on law, justice, constitutional, and human rights issues. He recommended recognizing union parishad chairmen who resolve the highest number of cases through village courts, thereby promoting awareness nationwide.
Senior members of the Law Reporters Forum, including Secretary Moniruzzaman Mission, along with other journalists and stakeholders, attended the meeting. Speakers concluded that further strengthening of the village court system would not only ease the burden on higher courts but also promote justice, reduce costs, and strengthen social cohesion at the grassroots level.
