Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique on Monday said that there are nearly 4 million case backlogs in all types of courts across Bangladesh.
“I firmly believe that if the lawyers cooperate with our judges and if we can provide them with other necessary support, we will be able to clear the backlogs effectively,” he said while inaugurating the foundation stone of a Nyaya Kunj (waiting room for litigants) at the premises of Manikganj District Judge Court.
Following Bangladesh's independence, the country has had to face numerous commercial problems, but the country's economic situation has improved and it is slowly progressing towards prosperity, said the chief justice.
“Our responsibility is to keep the judiciary abreast of this dynamic national system. To move forward, we have taken various steps, one of which is the establishment of Nyaya Kunj,” he said.
Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique recalled: "The day I took the oath as the chief justice, I told Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about our courtroom infrastructure, court housing, and accommodation for judges and lawyers. The judiciary system exists primarily for litigants; however, plaintiffs and defendants, both male and female, who travel from far and wide and visit the courts daily find no comfortable place within the court premises to rest, to eat or to drink.”
“After proposing this to the prime minister, she approved Tk35 crore. By allocating Tk50 lakh to each of the 64 districts, we can establish a Nyaya Kunj in every district, complete with separate toilets for men and women, 50 to 70 chairs, and a fast-food shop situated in one corner,” he said.
"Over the past few years, our case proceedings had somewhat slowed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021," acknowledged the chief justice.
"However, in 2022, the pace has increased. Remarkably, the rate of case disposal has exceeded 100% in 36 districts of the country," he shared.
"We have calculated that if we can increase the pace of cases, we will be able to dispose of the pending cases in the next 5-6 years," the chief justice concluded.
