Village Courts play a vital role in providing affordable and accessible legal support at the grassroots level, ensuring that rural communities receive timely justice without the heavy costs and delays of the formal court system. At a national roundtable discussion held today at hotel, speakers emphasized the urgent need to strengthen women’s leadership and decision-making within this system while increasing the participation of marginalized communities to make justice delivery truly inclusive.
The roundtable, titled “The Importance of Gender-Sensitive and Inclusive Village Court Services for Rural Women and Marginalized Communities,” was held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka. It was organized by the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh – Phase III Project, implemented by the Local Government Division in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union (EU). The session brought together senior government officials, development partners, academia, and members of the media to discuss strategies for strengthening the justice system at the local level.
Mumtaz Ahmed, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, attended the event as Chief Guest, while Md. Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, Secretary of the Local Government Division, participated as Special Guest. Anwarul Haque, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP, was also present. The discussion was moderated by Surayya Akther Jahan, Additional Secretary of the Local Government Division and National Project Director of the Activating Village Courts project.
In his opening remarks, Md. Rezaul Maksud Jahedi highlighted the importance of ensuring women’s active involvement in the justice process. He stated that to make village courts stronger and more effective, women’s participation must be made mandatory, adding that neutral and timely justice for women requires the coordinated efforts of local government, media, and all relevant ministries. He emphasized that village courts serve as a crucial alternative to costly and time-consuming higher court proceedings and that greater outreach, capacity building, and social awareness are essential to ensure that communities are aware of and trust these services.
In his opening remarks, Md. Rezaul Maksud Jahedi highlighted the importance of ensuring women’s active involvement in the justice process. He stated that to make village courts stronger and more effective, women’s participation must be made mandatory, adding that neutral and timely justice for women requires the coordinated efforts of local government, media, and all relevant ministries. He emphasized that village courts serve as a crucial alternative to costly and time-consuming formal court proceedings and that greater outreach, capacity building, and social awareness are essential to ensure that communities are aware of and trust these services.
During the keynote presentation, Shamima Akter Shammi, Gender Analyst for the project, outlined the challenges women and marginalized groups face in accessing justice. She noted that a lack of awareness about legal rights, social and familial barriers, limited access to information, and logistical difficulties often prevent these groups from seeking justice. Additionally, skepticism from society, lack of cooperation from male panel members, and disregard for women’s voices by chairpersons continue to limit the impact of village courts.
From February 2024 to August 2025, a total of 136,808 cases were filed across village courts, including 36,962 cases submitted by women. Of these, 14,214 cases were referred from district courts. Following recent reforms, the financial jurisdiction of village courts was expanded from BDT 75,000 to BDT 300,000, leading to a significant rise in case filings. Currently, 15 percent of cases involve claims exceeding BDT 75,000, while 2.5 percent are related to the recovery of unpaid maintenance for women. Shammi stressed that while the inclusion of maintenance cases is a positive development, legal reforms alone are not enough, and greater awareness and active participation are required to ensure the reforms benefit those in need.
Speaking as Chief Guest, Mumtaz Ahmed emphasized the importance of integrating village court awareness into national programs. She stated that if information about village courts is included in women and child-focused projects and training initiatives across ministries, public understanding and engagement would improve significantly. She also highlighted the need to appoint women as adjudicators and suggested incorporating basic information about village courts into school textbooks to raise awareness from an early age.
She further noted that village court services are now operational in 4,453 Union Parishads across 61 districts, providing essential services to communities who would otherwise face costly and lengthy legal battles in higher courts.
Bivash Chakraborty, National Project Coordinator, presented an overview of the project’s progress and objectives, followed by remarks from senior government officials, civil society representatives, and media professionals. Participants collectively stressed the importance of making village courts a truly inclusive platform by ensuring fast, accessible, and low-cost justice and engaging the media as a partner in spreading awareness from the earliest stages of the project.
The Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh – Phase III Project is a joint initiative of the Local Government Division, UNDP, and the European Union. The project aims to strengthen local governance institutions, promote gender-sensitive and inclusive justice, and empower communities to access legal services. It currently operates across 61 districts covering 468 upazilas and 4,453 Union Parishads. Through legal reforms, capacity-building initiatives, and public awareness campaigns, the project is working to create a sustainable and inclusive justice system that leaves no one behind.
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