Bangladesh Law Minister: Mediation Can Cut Pending Cases to 2 Million in a Year
Bangladesh's Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Anisul Huq, stated that effectively implementing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs could reduce the number of pending cases in the country to approximately 2 million within the next year. He urged for the expansion of mandatory pre-filing mediation to expedite justice and make it more accessible for ordinary citizens. Currently, Bangladesh has around 4.5 million pending cases, with a significant backlog attributed to a shortage of judges across all court levels. The minister highlighted that strengthening ADR alongside the traditional judicial system is crucial.
Pilot programs conducted from February to May of this year yielded positive results. For instance, cases under the Family Courts Act decreased by about 51%, from 3,559 to 1,744 in the same period. Other laws, including the Rent Control Act, Civil Courts Ordinance, State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, Non-Agricultural Tenancy Act, and the Prevention of Dowry Act, also saw substantial reductions in case filings, ranging from approximately 19% to over 88%. On average, cases across various laws decreased by 62.2%, a promising sign for the justice system if sustained and expanded.
The minister called upon judges to refer cases with settlement potential to district legal aid offices or authorized mediators early on, emphasizing that early resolution would save litigants time, money, and hardship. He also appealed to the media to raise public awareness about these government-funded mediation services, encouraging more people to utilize out-of-court dispute resolution. The initiative, officially launched in 10 districts—Bogra, Thakurgaon, Patuakhali, Bhola, Narail, Jessore, Faridpur, Cox's Bazar, Panchagarh, and Tangail—aims to ease the burden on courts and provide quicker, more affordable justice.
The Bangladeshi government's push to significantly reduce pending court cases through mandatory pre-filing mediation highlights a systemic challenge in judicial efficiency, exacerbated by judicial shortages. The reported success of pilot programs, showing substantial case reductions across various legal domains, suggests that alternative dispute resolution mechanisms can be highly effective. This initiative aligns with global trends of leveraging technology and alternative processes to manage caseloads and improve access to justice. The focus on ADR presents a strategic trade-off: while it may alleviate immediate pressure on the courts, its long-term success hinges on sustained public trust, mediator quality, and integration with the formal legal system. The government's commitment to publicizing these services indicates an understanding that widespread adoption is key to achieving the ambitious target of reducing pending cases by over half within a year, potentially reshaping the landscape of legal recourse in Bangladesh over the next decade.
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