Media asked to encourage people to resolve disputes through village courts
Dhaka, Apr 18 (UNB) - Local government experts at a meeting on Wednesday sought cooperation from media to encourage people for going to the village courts to resolve local disputes as well as activate the courts.
Since the village courts are not truly functional, marginal people are compelled to go to the conventional courts (criminal and magistrate courts) seeking justice. But they have to face a lot of problem in getting justice due to lengthy procedure of the courts, they said.
So, the village courts can play an importance role in resolving the local cases immediately, they said.
Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh (AVCB) project of the Local Government Division under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives with support from UNDP and European Union (EU) organised the national consultation meeting on ‘Role of Media in Activating Village Courts’ at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the city.
State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak, EU Ambassador and Head of the Delegation to Bangladesh William Hanna, Country Director of UNDP Bangladesh Stefan Priesner and Director General of Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) Dulal Chandra Biswas spoke at the inaugural session of the meeting held with Additional Secretary of Local Government Division KM Mozammel Hoq in the chair.
Speaking as the chief guest, Jahangir Kabir Nanak said although the Village Court Act was passed in 2006, it could not yet be truly implemented due to various reasons.
“The marginal people are not well informed about the Village Court Act. Even members of the Union Parishads (UPs) are not informed. The courts are not activated in all UPs. So, the marginal people are deprived of getting justice,” he said.
Nanak said the Village Court Act is such an act that empowers the local government representatives and general people.
About objectives of the village court, he said the main aims of the court is to take decision in a way so that it could ensure coexistence and mutual understanding between both parties (defender and complainer) to avoid further clash or dispute.
The junior minister suggested simplifying the language of the Village Court Act so that marginal people can easily understand it.
He said corruption has to be eliminated from the village courts to keep it fair and transparent. “If the village courts are involved in corruption, all the expectations and hopes of marginal people will be destroyed.”
Nanak urged the mass media to play their watchdog role in keeping the village courts transparent and free from corruption and unfairness. “If media remain active, nobody can misuse the law.”
William Hanna said delay in the legal system in Bangladesh is a matter of concern as the marginal people have to face untold sufferings in getting justice. “There is no justice at all. It is injustice.”
He said the EU has given a grant of Euro 10 million to implement a project for the development of local government and the EU want to see Bangladesh as a prosperous country and help establish its rule of law.
Since the village courts are not truly functional, marginal people are compelled to go to the conventional courts (criminal and magistrate courts) seeking justice. But they have to face a lot of problem in getting justice due to lengthy procedure of the courts, they said.
So, the village courts can play an importance role in resolving the local cases immediately, they said.
Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh (AVCB) project of the Local Government Division under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives with support from UNDP and European Union (EU) organised the national consultation meeting on ‘Role of Media in Activating Village Courts’ at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the city.
State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak, EU Ambassador and Head of the Delegation to Bangladesh William Hanna, Country Director of UNDP Bangladesh Stefan Priesner and Director General of Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) Dulal Chandra Biswas spoke at the inaugural session of the meeting held with Additional Secretary of Local Government Division KM Mozammel Hoq in the chair.
Speaking as the chief guest, Jahangir Kabir Nanak said although the Village Court Act was passed in 2006, it could not yet be truly implemented due to various reasons.
“The marginal people are not well informed about the Village Court Act. Even members of the Union Parishads (UPs) are not informed. The courts are not activated in all UPs. So, the marginal people are deprived of getting justice,” he said.
Nanak said the Village Court Act is such an act that empowers the local government representatives and general people.
About objectives of the village court, he said the main aims of the court is to take decision in a way so that it could ensure coexistence and mutual understanding between both parties (defender and complainer) to avoid further clash or dispute.
The junior minister suggested simplifying the language of the Village Court Act so that marginal people can easily understand it.
He said corruption has to be eliminated from the village courts to keep it fair and transparent. “If the village courts are involved in corruption, all the expectations and hopes of marginal people will be destroyed.”
Nanak urged the mass media to play their watchdog role in keeping the village courts transparent and free from corruption and unfairness. “If media remain active, nobody can misuse the law.”
William Hanna said delay in the legal system in Bangladesh is a matter of concern as the marginal people have to face untold sufferings in getting justice. “There is no justice at all. It is injustice.”
He said the EU has given a grant of Euro 10 million to implement a project for the development of local government and the EU want to see Bangladesh as a prosperous country and help establish its rule of law.
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