More than 6,000 cases remain pending with three Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals in Rangpur, with over 300 rape and dowry cases awaiting trial for five to 18 years, leaving victims and accused trapped in prolonged legal battles.
Over 2,000 of the pending cases involve rape, while victims say repeated court appearances and mounting legal expenses have pushed many families into financial hardship.
A visit to the tribunals revealed the plight of litigants who have spent years seeking justice. Sharifa Yasmin, from Anandanagar village in Pirgachha upazila, said her husband and in-laws drove her out of their home because she could not pay Tk200,000 in dowry.
She filed a case six years ago, but the trial has yet to begin. With hearings scheduled roughly every two months, Sharifa said she had sold cattle, goats, ducks and chickens to cover travel costs and court-related expenses.
Other women, including Asma Begum of Pirgachha and Mariam Begum of Rangpur Sadar, also described similar experiences.
Asma, a poor woman, said her daughter was abducted and raped eight years ago, but the trial had yet to begin.
Sohrab Hossain of Bhandarbari village in Pirgachha said he had been attending court for 18 years in connection with a rape case filed against him. Working as a rickshaw puller in Dhaka, he returns to Rangpur every two months for hearings.
He said he could not afford to miss a hearing for fear of an arrest warrant, forcing him to spend money on repeated journeys while struggling to earn a living.
Human rights activists and legal experts blamed the delays on a shortage of judges, police failures to produce witnesses and a lack of diligence by those involved in prosecution.
Rumana Zaman, president of Rangpur district chapter of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, said the law sets time limits for disposing of cases involving violence against women and children, yet many litigants spend years waiting for justice. She called for more judges to expedite trials.
Rights activist Monowara Begum warned that the failure to punish offenders was allowing violence, rape and dowry-related abuse to persist. She also urged authorities to increase the number of judges and ensure speedy trials.
Shafi Kamal, special public prosecutor at Tribunal-1, said nearly 2,000 cases were awaiting trial at his court. He cited the absence of complainants and witnesses on scheduled dates, along with other procedural complications, as reasons for the growing backlog. He said judges and prosecutors were working to ensure justice for litigants.
Moksedul Haque, special public prosecutor at Tribunal-2, said they were also trying to expedite proceedings.
Legal experts called for a dedicated cell to speed up the disposal of cases involving violence against women and children in Rangpur, alongside stricter monitoring by the High Court.