Dhaka: Speakers at a roundtable today stressed the need for ensuring easy and speedy justice by avoiding lengthy court proceedings and emphasized the importance of including marginalized people, particularly by enhancing women’s capacity to lead and make decisions in the functioning of village courts. The remarks came at a national roundtable on the importance of gender-sensitive and inclusive village court services for rural women and marginalized people, held at a city hotel.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Phase III Project, in collaboration with the Local Government Division, UNDP and the European Union, organized the meeting. Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Mumtaz Ahmed addressed the event as the chief guest, while Local Government Division Secretary Md Rezaul Maqsud Zahedi and UNDP Senior Governance Specialist Tanvir Mahmud, among others, were present as special guests. Senior officials of various ministries, development agencies, academia and media representatives also attended the event.
The meeting was moderated by Additional Secretary of the LGD and National Project Director of the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Phase III Project Suraiya Akhter Jahan. Mumtaz Ahmed emphasized the inclusion of information about village courts in all projects and training programs run by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and other relevant ministries on women, children and development, which she believes could significantly improve public awareness. Ahmed also highlighted the need for special attention to the inclusion of women as judges in the judiciary.
Md Rezaul Maqsud Zahedi noted the importance of making the inclusion of women mandatory in village courts to ensure their effectiveness. He emphasized the need for coordinated cooperation among media, local government, and all ministries to ensure impartial and speedy justice for women at the grassroots level. A total of 1,36,808 cases were filed with village courts from February 2024 to August 2025, of which 36,962 were by female petitioners. During this period, 14,214 cases were referred from the High Court.
National Project Coordinator Vibhas Chakraborty presented the project profile at the meeting. Other speakers included Shahana Sarmin, Executive Director of the National Women’s Organization; Hazera Khatun, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare; Dr. Prakash Kanti Chowdhury, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; Mir Mashrur, Chief News Editor of Channel i; Gender Lead Sharmin Islam; and Head of Communication Md Abdul Qayyum.