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PM for ensuring justice thru village courts
Reported by: UNBConnect
Reported on: Jun 09, 2012 12:31 pm
Reported in: National

Dhaka, June 9 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday asked the union parishad chairmen and members to ensure justice and not to impose anything unjust being influenced by others while performing their responsibility in the village courts. “Religious superstition and fanaticism should not have any room in dispensing justice. The disputes would have to be resolved through understanding,” she said, addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Village Court Conference at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.Hasina also suggested the union parishad chairmen and members to take punitive measures against the filing of any false complaint.She said that the government is considering appointing a judicial assistant in each Union Council to carryout the activities of the village court. The Prime Minister said the government wants the union parishad chairmen and members to dispose of the trifling matters in their localities by properly applying the authority bestowed upon them in the village court law. “And thereby you will earn the trust and love of the people.” She added: “Through this process, we hope a peaceful and fraternal atmosphere will be maintained.”Hasina announced at the conference that Rangpur Municipality will be turned into a city corporation. Criticizing the talk shows telecast by different satellite TV channels, she alleged that these talk shows do not highlight anything good of the government activities except the ‘sour’.LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, UN resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative Neal Walker and EU Delegation Charge d Affaires Milko Van Gool, among others, spoke on the occasion. Local Government Division Secretary Abu Alam Md Shahid Khan presided over the chaired the session while Project Director and Additional Secretary of the LGRD Ministry KM Mozammel Haque gave the welcome address. The Prime Minister said that the village court is not a new idea in Bangladesh as the elders of villages had been resolving trifling matters informally for long. In this regard, she said that the village court law has been enacted to give the idea a formal shape and legal structure. She mentioned that the Local Government Division has undertaken ‘Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Project’ in 2009 aimed at executing the village court law with the financial assistance of the UNDP and the European Union. Initially, the village courts are being implemented in 350 unions of the country.Hasina said that in the village court law, the elected UP chairmen and members have been authorized to conduct the courts. On one hand this is a unique authority, and on the other a huge responsibility. “Justice will have to be ensured by properly discharging the responsibility.” She said that the government has also taken steps to introduce village courts in 4,500 Union Councils outside the project area. She also urged the donors to come forward to provide assistance in this regard. The Prime Minister said: “We are pledge-bound to undertake any activity for the welfare of the people. I hope the village court will pave the way for getting justice for the poor and disadvantaged rural people.”She said primarily, there might be some lapses in carrying out the activities of the village courts. “But, I think, the process will be standardized gradually. Our grassroots level public representatives will be able to establish it as an ideal model of delivery of justice. The village courts of Bangladesh will surely be a model for the developing countries.”Hasina said that her government is working relentlessly to establish a strong and effective local government system in the country. She mentioned that the government has enacted and amended Upazila Parisad laws and formulated the rules to strengthen the Upazila Parisads. Four posts of employees have been created for each Upazila Parisad. The Prime Minister said that as part of turning the Upazila Sadar and extended industrial areas into towns under the Vision 2021 goals, nine new municipalities have already been established. The mayors of Pourashavas and Upazila and Union Parishad chairmen are being trained at home and abroad. A master plan is being prepared for 23 municipalities at the district headquarters and 223 municipalities at the Upazila headquarters. Besides, she said the birth and death registration system has been brought under digital system. Already nearly 30 million registrations have been preserved under the digital system. Gradually, all the birth and death registration will be brought under digital system.Hasina said that her government wants to build the Union Councils as stronger and self-reliant for the benefit of the people. The Union Council will be turn into the hub of implementing all development activities, including the village courts.She said that a number of projects aided by UNDP, EU, World Bank and Unicef are being implemented in the Union Councils. Later, the Prime Minister witnessed the trial proceedings of a village court in Faridpur through video conference.

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