Dhaka: The government has embarked on a new initiative to construct multistoried residential complexes for judicial officers across all 64 districts and eight metropolitan cities to alleviate their ongoing housing challenges.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the planned residential complexes will range from 10 to 15 stories, varying by location. The Law and Justice Division, under the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, has directed district and sessions judges to pinpoint suitable locations and provide spatial layouts along with necessary data for the construction process. This directive was articulated in a letter issued by the Planning Unit of the Law and Justice Division on September 2.
The letter highlights that approximately 30 to 50 judges of varying ranks currently serve in civil and criminal courts, as well as various special tribunals in each district. Despite this, most districts, aside from a select few, lack adequate or integrated government residential facilities for judges. Consequently, many judges reside in rented accommodations, which poses security risks due to the sensitive nature of their work.
The Law and Justice Division has pointed out that ample land is available in many districts under district judgeships for constructing these residential buildings. The proposed modern multistoried complexes aim to resolve the current housing crisis and address future demands efficiently by making optimal use of available land.
The letter further suggests that centralized residential complexes would facilitate enhanced security measures, such as CCTV surveillance, designated entry points, and 24/7 armed police security. The initiative is part of a project titled 'Construction of Residential Buildings for Judicial Officers in 64 Districts and 8 Metropolitan Cities.'
Under this project, district and sessions judges have been tasked with providing details and spatial layouts indicating available land at court premises or old court and Munsif court premises under their jurisdiction. If adequate land is lacking on court premises, judges have been asked to propose potential sites within one kilometre of district judge court buildings where land could be acquired if necessary. Additionally, executive engineers from the Public Works Department in the respective districts have been instructed to conduct digital surveys of the selected sites.