THE judicial system remains rampantly infested with irregularities, bribery and harassment despite a call of the chief justice for ensuring judicial accountability and rooting out corruption. Accounts of lawyers, as 抖阴精品 reported on June 15, suggest that every stage of case procedures, from filing petitions to obtaining signed orders, is mired in such problems. The chief justice on September 21, 2024 said that corruption of court officials and lawyers鈥� clerks was damaging for the image of the judiciary in the public eye. The chief justice has also announced a policy of zero tolerance of any form of corruption, even in a judge鈥檚 private life, as it tarnishes the judiciary. Yet, the infestation continues, lowering the image of the judiciary, slowing down justice delivery and making people鈥檚 resorting to legal proceedings expensive. Accounts suggest that orders or verdicts are not typed unless bench officers are paid bribes. Sign orders cannot be obtained unless junior officials are given money. Section officials refuse to process certified copies unless the palm is greased. Without the hand being greased, dispatch section officials do not send court orders to recipients.
The amount of money paid off to make files fly and processes expeditious ranges from as low as Tk 100 to as high as Tk 20,000. Bribery and corruption have grown so ingrained in the system that many lawyers say that it has become almost impossible for them not to comply with the 鈥榠nformal system鈥� of bribery. Some allege that when they take up the issue with bar association leaders, they are told to 鈥榝ollow the system鈥�, putting the failure to take action against bribery and harassment in court services down to the bar leaders. The registrar general of the Supreme Court, however, seeks to say that action cannot be taken without complaints being officially filed, noting that they remain vigilant and have so far internally investigated several cases. The reason for which the victims remain unwilling to file official complaints could, however, be anybody鈥檚 guess. And, this suggests that the grievance or complaints resolution mechanism that has failed to work, understandably in fear of reprisal. An online complaint register was launched on September 26, 2024 and as of January 1, 2025, 33 complaints of misconduct, bribery, negligence and other irregularities were filed. The chief justice, who has also acknowledged receiving complaints about the affidavit, dispatch and copy sections that he says are 鈥榙isturbing,鈥� is reported to have issued several directives to eliminate irregularities.
The relevant authorities should, therefore, do more to end irregularities and bribery in the court system as the process that gives people legal redress should in no way remain corrupt.
