Village courts are gaining popularity in the district day by day with people resolving small dispute locally without going to police or district courts. Set up at the offices of Union Parishad, the village courts are speedily settling criminal and civil cases involving amount of money not above Taka 25,000. Currently, the village courts at 6 unions in Dakshin Surma upazilas of the Sylhet district are contributing immensely to establishing social justice by resolving small disputes. As per the procedure of the village court, a justice seeker has to submit a written application to the union council chairman paying fees of Taka 4 only for civil cases and Taka 2 only for criminal cases.
A village court can fine an accused highest Taka 25,000, if he or she is found guilty. Any aggrieved side of the case, however, can appeal against the verdict of the village court in a first class magistrate court for criminal cases and in the assistant judge court for civil cases.
According to sources, the activities of village court started in Dakshin Surma upazilas of Sylhet district in January 2011.
A project ‘Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh’ is providing financial and other assistance to village courts. Lalabazar Union Chairman of Khairul Afian Chowdhury said village courts first started at the union parishad level in 1976 under an ordinance.
The objective of the village court is to save the people from expensive and time-consuming traditional justice system, he said, adding that the village courts are gaining popularity for reducing expenses and hassles of the justice seekers.
