Rajshahi:Village courts in the Rajshahi division have successfully recovered Tk 70.73 crore in compensation from February 2024 to September 2026. This initiative has allowed local residents to resolve disputes at lower costs and without the need for lengthy legal proceedings.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the village courts handled 57,896 cases filed directly and accepted 6,556 cases referred by higher courts during this period. Additionally, 15,798 women sought justice through these courts. A meeting was held to review the progress of the village courts, attended by Rezaul Alam Sarker, the acting divisional commissioner of Rajshahi, who emphasized the need for dynamic village courts to provide accessible justice for rural residents.
The meeting, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Kazi Shahidul Islam, highlighted the potential of village courts to save time and money for people by resolving disputes locally. The discussions underscored the importance of strengthening Union Parishads and raising public awareness to extend the benefits of the village court system, especially for women and disadvantaged groups.
Speakers at the meeting noted that resolving local disputes, including those related to land, family, and social issues, could alleviate public suffering and reduce the backlog of cases in regular courts. They called for enhanced institutional capacity of Union Parishads, improved skills for officials, and effective measures to ensure easy access to justice for all, including the poor and disadvantaged.
The meeting was conducted by Nazrul Islam, deputy director of the Local Government Branch, and attended by Anwar Imam, national project director of the AVCB-3 project, and Taslima Khatun, director of the Local Government Division in Rajshahi. The event was organized jointly by the Rajshahi Divisional Administration and the District Administration, focusing on the challenges and future sustainability of the village court system.