Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Minister Md Tajul Islam said the present government is committed to ensure the people’s right of getting justice and curb the backlog of cases in the courts by activating the village courts. “The Activating Village Courts project (second phase) is helping the government to reach the judicial service to the people in the quickest possible time. The village courts resolve disputes through negotiation with the nominated representatives of the both sides,” he said. Tazul said this on Sunday while addressing a view-exchange meeting titled ‘Role of Mass Media to Increase Massive Public Awareness on Village Courts’ at a city hotel.
Local Government Division Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Bangladesh Rensje Teerink, UNDP’s Resident Representative Sudipto Mukherjee and National Project Director of the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh project (second phase) and LGD Additional Secretary Roxana Quader addressed the programme as special guests. Noted journalist Syed Ishtiaque Reza conducted the programme. The LGRD Minister said a total of 133,664 cases were filed with the village courts in the project areas from July 2017 to August 2019. Of them, verdicts of 106,702 cases have already been given while verdicts of 100,333 cases have been implemented, Tajul added. The second phase of the ‘Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh’ project from 2016 to 2019 is now being implemented at 1,080 unions under 128 upazilas in 27 districts across the country at a cost of Taka 280.94 crore.The Local Government Division is implementing the project with the financial help of the UNDP and EU.
Recently, a total of 121 unions of 26 upazilas under the three hill tracts districts have been brought under the project.
Earlier, the first phase of the project from 2009 to 2015 was successfully implemented at 351 unions under 57 upazilas in 14 districts.
