Justice sector experts on Wednesday called for raising public awareness to strengthen village courts for resolving minor disputes at the local level.
They said village courts, led by union parishad chairmen, play a vital role in ensuring hassle-free justice in the shortest time and improving access to justice in rural areas.
Speaking at a view exchange meeting with members of the Law Reporters Forum, experts said empowering these courts to handle small disputes through cost-free, amicable settlements鈥攚ithout punishment鈥攃an reduce pressure on formal courts and offer faster justice within communities.
The speakers included LGRD joint secretaries Akhter Jahan and Khondoker Md Nazmul Huda Shamim, information ministry joint secretary Mahfuza Akhter, project legal analyst and lawyer Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury, AVCB-III national coordinator for communications Bivash Chakraborty, UNDP outreach analyst Suman Francis Gomes, and senior governance specialist Tanvir Mahmud.
The event was organised by the Local Government Division under the 鈥楢ctivating Village Courts in Bangladesh (Phase III)鈥� project, with support from the European Union and UNDP at InterContinental Dhaka.
The current phase of the project will continue until 2027.
Each village court has five members鈥攖wo nominated by the complainant and two by the defendant鈥攁nd is chaired by the local union parishad chairman. The court meets weekly and is expected to resolve cases within 90 days, though most are settled within 28 days.
Filing fees are minimal: Tk 20 for criminal-type cases and Tk 10 for civil ones. The courts deal with minor issues like petty theft, physical assault, debt recovery, and property possession disputes.
Parties can represent themselves without lawyers, allowing more open communication鈥攕omething often difficult in formal courts.
Recent reforms expanded village court powers. They can now handle dowry disputes between divorced couples, and the maximum value of property-related cases has been raised from Tk 75,000 to Tk 3,00,000. It, however, did not grant authority to village courts to handle matters related to violence against children.
If a party is dissatisfied with the verdict, they can appeal. Criminal verdicts can be challenged in a magistrate鈥檚 court (if supported by at least three of the five court members), while civil cases go to an assistant judge. If a party fails to follow the decision, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer can enforce it under the Public Recovery Act.
Experts noted that village courts are a formalised version of traditional shalish (village mediation), but with legal authority and government oversight.
Currently, 3,141 unions are covered under the third phase of the project鈥攗p from 1,416 in earlier phases. The Local Government Ministry oversees the courts, with continued support from UNDP and the EU.
Experts concluded that to strengthen justice at the grassroots, village courts must be accessible, trusted, and better known to the public. Raising awareness is key to making them a true alternative to formal courts for small disputes.
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