The formal justice system in Bangladesh is overwhelmed by the demand for legal recourse. Prohibitive costs of formal justice and poor understanding of legal matters are some of the reasons that keep the formal justice system out of reach for many. Against that backdrop, the UNDP said, the village court activation project first began in 2009. About 70,000 cases have been reported to those village courts since 2010, of which over 54,000 have been resolved taking an average of 28 days per case. Nearly 5,000 cases were referred to the district courts, thereby reducing the burden on the higher courts. The success of the project led to its extension, the UNDP said. The second phase will support village courts as “an effective local dispute resolution mechanism”. The Local Government Division will lead the activation of village courts in 1080 unions, across eight divisions. Economic Relations Division Additional Secretary Md. Ashadul Islam and UNDP Country Director Nick Beresford signed the agreement at the ERD.
