The government, as part of its vision to establish ‘Digital Bangladesh’, has decided to apply information and communication technology (ICT) in the judicial system to improve the legal services for the citizens.
“The ministry has undertaken an e-judiciary project involving Tk2,690 crore to introduce digital system in judiciary, automate administrative system and trial process, establish e-courts and increase ICT knowledge and efficiency of the judges, lawyers and officials concerned,” Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq told BSS.
The plan was approved by the project evaluation committee (PEC) on November 14, 2018 and is waiting for the final nod of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), the law minister said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently instructed the officials concerned to set up virtual facilities in all the prisons across the country to stop the movement of prisoners from jail to court.
“The virtual system would allow the judge to conduct court procedures through video conferencing, keeping the prisoners in jail,” Planning Minister MA Mannan quoted the prime minister as saying.
Sheikh Hasina gave the instruction at a meeting of the ECNEC held at NEC Conference Room in city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on September 3.
The main activities of the e-judiciary project include developing enterprise architecture for judicial service, developing enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, recording testimonies through video conferencing and recording digital evidences, establishing virtual private network (VPN) for all the offices under judiciary, upgrading data-centre of Law and Justice Division and establishing a network operation centre.
“Under the project, data centre of Bangladesh Supreme Court would be upgraded and the network operation centre would be established,” Law Ministry Spokesperson Dr Md Rezaul Karim said.
“A total of 1,400 courtrooms across the country will be turned into e-courtrooms. Micro data centres will be established in 63 districts except Dhaka and interconnection will be established between data centers of Law and Justice Division and the Supreme Court,” he added.
Around 2,000 tabs and laptops will be provided to judges, record rooms of the courts will be automated, case records and verdicts will be preserved through digital method, biometric attendance system will be established and a proposal will be made to formulate new acts and amend the existing ones to establish e-court room system under the project, law ministry sources said.
A total of 170 people will be appointed while officials and staff related to judiciary will be given necessary training to implement the project.
