Dhaka: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has organised a two-day basic mediation training programme for legal professionals to strengthen Bangladesh's newly established Special Mediator system, aiming to improve access to justice and reduce the growing backlog of court cases.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the training, held on July 31 and August 1 at InterContinental Dhaka, was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. It brought together approximately 40 participants, including Special Mediators, Legal Aid Officers, and officials from the ministry, the Directorate of Bangladesh Legal Aid (DBLA), the Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI), and the Supreme Court.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Secretary Liaquet Ali Molla inaugurated the programme, emphasizing the need to strengthen mediation services to ensure quicker and more accessible justice for citizens. At the closing ceremony, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman highlighted mediation as an effective, accessible, and people-centred mechanism for resolving disputes outside lengthy court proceedings. He expressed hope that the Special Mediator system would help reduce case backlogs and improve access to justice nationwide.
The minister encouraged participants to apply the knowledge and practical skills gained through the training in their professional work and to actively promote mediation nationwide. JICA Bangladesh Chief Representative Takahashi Junko attended the closing ceremony as a special guest.
The training was facilitated by Japanese mediation expert Professor Miyatake Masako and included lectures alongside practical exercises covering mediation principles, communication and negotiation techniques, mediator ethics, and role-play based mock mediation sessions.
According to JICA, the programme is part of its Development of Mediation and Civil Litigation Practices for Enhancement of Access to Justice Project, under which it has been supporting the government to promote mediation as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism. Since April 2025, the project has implemented a pilot initiative in Narsingdi and Cumilla, training a total of 44 lawyer mediators at District Legal Aid Offices. The initiative helped resolve 898 disputes through mediation by April 2026, demonstrating the effectiveness of the lawyer mediator model.
Based on the pilot's success, the amended Legal Aid Services Act introduced the Special Mediator system, institutionalising the model developed under the project. JICA is now working closely with the Directorate of Bangladesh Legal Aid and other relevant institutions to ensure the effective implementation of the new system through capacity building, technical support, and the sharing of Japan's experience in mediation.
The agency noted that the latest training marked an important step towards improving the quality of mediation services and ensuring faster resolution of civil and family disputes across Bangladesh. JICA also announced plans to organise an advanced mediation training programme later this year to further enhance the professional capacity of Special Mediators and support the sustainable implementation of the new system.