Backlog in cases to drop within a year: Law minister

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said on Sunday that the government is committed to reducing the backlog of cases within a year, while highlighting the importance of digitalising the legal services.
“Access to justice means ensuring human rights. Every citizen has inalienable, inherent and universal rights, and the state has a responsibility to ensure that citizens can access justice and exercise those rights,” he said.
The minister said this while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of a two-day coordination meeting held at BRAC-CDM in Gazipur to support the rollout of the new Digital Legal Aid System under the ‘Accelerating Digital Legal Aid Services in Bangladesh’ project.
The project aims to modernise legal aid delivery by simplifying legal aid applications, case tracking, lawyer assignment, mediation, notifications and data management.
It will focus on activating Upazila and Union Legal Aid Committees, improving digital case management and promoting online dispute resolution across Rajbari, Habiganj, Barguna, Netrokona, Joypurhat, Thakurgaon, Jhenaidah and Khagrachhari.
Legal stakeholders met in Gazipur to decide on the selection and functionalisation of 45 Upazila Legal Aid Committees and 300 Union Legal Aid Committees across the eight districts.
District and Sessions Judges from the eight districts discussed online dispute resolution, committee activation, training and legal aid data management, with particular attention to improving access for women, persons with disabilities and people living in poverty.
Law Secretary Liaquet Ali Molla, Director General of the Directorate of Bangladesh Legal Aid (DBLA) Md Monjurul Hossain, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh Baiba Zarina, and Senior Rule of Law, Justice and Security Advisor at UNDP Bangladesh Romana Schweiger also spoke at the meeting.