Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman on Tuesday said mandatory pre-case mediation is yielding encouraging results in reducing existing case backlog.
"Mandatory pre-case mediation is creating opportunities for litigants to resolve disputes quickly and easily, while significantly reducing the filing of new cases in courts, yielding encouraging results already. If implemented more effectively, the initiative could make a major contribution to resolving the country's long-standing case backlog," he said.
The minister made the remarks while inaugurating virtually the mandatory pre-filing mediation programme in 10 districts from the ministry's conference room.
He further said around 4.5 million cases are currently pending across the country against a backdrop of an inadequate number of judges. The enormous caseload has placed a heavy burden on the entire judiciary, from the Supreme Court to district and subordinate courts, he added.
The law minister said that following the introduction of pre-case mediation in 20 districts under a pilot project, the number of cases filed under various laws declined significantly during the February-May period of 2026 compared to the corresponding period in 2025.
"The number of cases filed under the Family Courts Act fell from 3,559 during the corresponding period in 2025 to 1,744 in the same period of 2026, marking a decline of about 51 per cent. Partition suits falling under the jurisdiction of Civil Judge Courts dropped from 2,001 to 661, representing a reduction of around 67 per cent," he said.
Asaduzzaman said the pre-emption cases under the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act also fell sharply from 17 to just two, registering an 88.24 per cent decline. "Cases under the Parents' Maintenance Act fell by nearly 19 per cent. Overall, the number of cases filed declined by an average of 62.02 per cent," he added.
Addressing judges, the minister urged them to refer cases that have the potential for amicable settlement at an early stage to district legal aid offices or accredited mediators.
Expressing optimism, the law minister said that if the courts, district legal aid offices, lawyers and all other stakeholders work together, it would be possible to significantly reduce the number of pending cases within the next one year.
Referring to the mediators, the law minister said they should view their responsibility not merely as a job, but as a public service and a challenge.
He also reiterated the government's 'zero-tolerance' policy against any form of corruption in the mediation process.
Chaired by Director General of the Directorate of Bangladesh Legal Aid, Md Monjurul Hossain, the programme was also addressed by Law and Justice Division Secretary Liaquet Ali Molla as a special guest.
Joining virtually, Jessore District and Sessions Judge Mahmudah Khatun, Chief Judicial Magistrate of Cox's Bazar Abu Saleh Mohammad Noman, District Legal Aid Officer Abhijit Chowdhury, and President of the Cox's Bazar District Bar Association Advocate Mohammad Abdul Mannan also spoke on the occasion.
Following his speech, the law minister simultaneously inaugurated the mandatory pre-case mediation programme in 10 districts. The districts are Bogra, Thakurgaon, Patuakhali, Bhola, Natore, Jessore, Shariatpur, Cox's Bazar, Panchagarh and Tangail.
