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Government will make Village Courts functional across the country gradually

“Village Courts are playing effective role in maintaining peace and good governance locally along with reducing backlogs of cases in the district courts. Promoting services of Village Courts is also included in the Government’s village development plan. Therefore, ministry will ensure all sorts of supports to make Village Courts more functional across the country gradually” said Mr. Md Tazul Islam MP, Minister, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives as chief guest during a workshop organized by Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Phase II Project (AVCBII) on 10 April 2019 in Dhaka.

With financial support and trio-partnership of European Union, Bangladesh Government and UNDP, AVCB II Project organized a project review and reflection workshop on 10-11 April 2019. As a special guest of the event Ms. Audrey Maillot, Team Leader, Governance, EU Delegation to Bangladesh said, “Village Courts are ensuring easy access to women as service seekers and panel members which is playing a vital role in getting justice by women and children.” Mr. Sudipto Mukerjee, Resident Representative a.i. of UNDP Bangladesh was also present as a special guest at the event, he said, “In higher courts more than 3.3 million cases are pending to resolve, Village Courts are complementing towards not to increase this case backlogs further.” He also appreciated European Union and Local Government Division for making Village Courts functional within the project areas. Mr. S. M. Ghulam Farooque, Senior Secretary, Local Government Division (LGD), as a special guest of the workshop said, “Many local petty disputes will not go to the higher courts if they could be resolved by the Village Courts with transparency and within shortest period.” He also urged to Union Parishad chairmen and local government representatives for making Village Courts more functional.

Dr. Kazi Anowarul Hoque, National Project Director, AVCB II and Additional Secretary, LGD presided over the workshop. He mentioned that, 91,950 cases were filed in 1,080 unions of the project areas from July 2017 to February 2019; out of which 71,205 cases have been resolved and decisions of 65,829 cases have been implemented. National Project Coordinator, AVCB II, Mr. Sardar M Asaduzzaman shared that more than 28 percent applicants were women in Village Courts.

Nearly 150 officials working in the field level of the project areas including 24 Deputy Directors of Local Government (DDLGs) and 10 Union Parishad chairmen were present in this workshop.