Participants at a discussion on access to justice for marginalised people at the village level on Tuesday called for stronger coordination among government agencies, non-governmental organisations and development partners to make village courts more effective in resolving local disputes.
The discussion, titled 鈥楲egal Aid Service Providers鈥� Role to Ensure Access to Justice for Marginalised People through Village Courts鈥�, was jointly organised by the Local Government Division, European Union, and United Nations Development Programme, at the InterContinental Dhaka, with participation from 24 government bodies, NGOs and development partners.
The discussion began with an overview of the project鈥檚 background and progress presented by AVCB-III national communications coordinator Bivash Chakraborty while project legal analyst and lawyer Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury outlined the advantages and drawbacks of the Village Courts Act, 2006.
Additional secretary and project chief Surayya Akhtar Jahan said in her opening remarks that the government alone could not reach every citizen to ensure justice.
She called for closer collaboration among government organisations, NGOs and development partners to expand legal aid to the poor.
鈥楾he government and NGOs are co-related. You have specialised sectors to provide legal aid to destitute people,鈥� she said, adding that the village-level justice system 鈥� the starting point of rural justice 鈥� remained neglected.
A BRAC representative, ATM Morshed Alam, cited the Justice Audit 2018 report, noting that nearly 30 per cent of petty disputes reaching formal courts could be resolved locally.
鈥業f village courts are effectively implemented, justice can truly reach people鈥檚 doorsteps,鈥� he said.
A participant urged the Local Government Division and the UNDP to engage paralegal aid organisations to prevent interference by politically influential individuals in village court decisions.
Md Ruhul Amin, a representative from World Vision, sought guidance from the Local Government Division on areas where the NGOs can collaborate with the village court project and proposed signing a memorandum of understanding to formalise cooperation.
Law and Justice Division deputy secretary Rafiqul Islam clarified that there was no jurisdictional conflict between the two systems except in divorce and maintenance matters.
The village courts, which perform quasi-judicial functions, can impose fines up to Tk聽3,000 but lack strong enforcement powers, as union parishad chairs have limited authority to execute verdicts.
A presentation at the meeting highlighted the progress of the Village Court Project, launched in 2009.
Between 2009 and 2015, 351 unions piloted the project, settling over 69,000 of 87,224 cases, with 61,239 decisions executed.
In the second phase (2017鈥�2021), over 2 lakh cases were resolved across 1,079 unions, with more than 52,000 women benefiting from village court services.
During the third phase (2022鈥�2027), the project has expanded to 4,453 unions, bringing justice services closer to rural and marginalised communities.
From February to July 2024, more than 25,000 cases were resolved out of 35,000 filed, according to the presentation.
UNDP senior governance specialist Tanvir Mahmud said that the government was exploring ways to continue the village court programme without UNDP鈥檚 support.