Bagerhat: A coordination and exchange meeting with local stakeholders was held today to enhance public awareness of village court services and strengthen publicity of their activities at the grassroots level in Bagerhat. The meeting was organized by the Bagerhat District Administration under the 'Activation of Village Courts in Bangladesh (Phase 3) Project' of the Local Government Division, with assistance from the European Union and UNDP.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Golam Md. Baten attended the meeting as the chief guest at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner's office. Deputy Director (Acting) of the Local Government Department Mejbah Uddin chaired the meeting, which was attended by District Manager of Village Court Nazmul Hasan, officials from government and private organizations, NGO representatives, social workers, and members of civil society, among others.
During the meeting, various statistics on the filing and disposal of cases through village courts were presented through a multimedia presentation. It was informed that 661 cases were filed in the village courts of 75 unions across the district between April and August this year. Of these, 608 cases were filed directly at the union level, while 17 cases were referred from regular courts. Among the cases filed, 167 were civil cases and 471 were criminal cases.
Of the total applicants, 411 were men and 250 were women. During the period, 618 cases were settled, involving claims amounting to Tk 1,38,24,610. Speakers at the meeting emphasized that village courts are playing an important role in resolving minor disputes quickly and effectively at the local level. They stressed the need for wider publicity to make people aware of the services and facilities available through village courts.