Ensure swift, hassle-free justice for people: PM to judges, lawye

Dhaka (Nov 4, 2020): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged judges and lawyers to ensure people’s right to quick and hassle-free justice.

“Getting justice quickly, less expensively and hassle-free is the right of the people. This can boost people's confidence and trust. Although we have our confidence and trust in the judiciary, (we’ll request it) to pay some attention to the matter,” she said.

The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the newly-built Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Building in Dhaka virtually from her official residence, reports UNB.

She said that till June 2020, there are some 3,794,908 cases pending in the courts and requested the judges and lawyers to find a way for quick verdicts in the cases.

“Let not so many cases pile up. Please be cordial and take steps to finish these trials. We’ll extend our cooperation if needed, but we don’t want such a huge number of cases to remain pending,” she said.

The Prime Minister said that the Awami League government always pledged to establish rule of law. “Whenever we came to power, we ensured that first, we put our special attention to establish the right of justice for all. We work in that direction,” she said.

Recalling the miserable days of her and her younger sister’s wait for justice for the August 15 killings where her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated with other members of the family, she said that no-one should suffer in the absence of justice like they did.

Sheikh Hasina also spoke about rape and her government's steps to tackle the menace.

Nearly a thousand rape cases, including over 200 gang rapes, have been reported between January and September this year, according to Ain o Salish Kendra. The actual number is thought to be much higher as most victims do not report assaults.

Countrywide protests sparked by a series of rape incidents prompted the government to incorporate the death penalty as the highest punishment in the law for the crime.

Prime Minister Hasina said the government promulgated Women and Children Repression Prevention Ordinance 2020 to ensure the toughest punishment for the offenders and control this crime. The cabinet has already passed the ordinance and it will be placed in Parliament in the next session and will be passed as a law.

Talking about drugs, she said it is a big problem in the society as this menace completely destroys a family. She said the government is continuing its drive against drugs.

“We want everyone involved in drugs to be punished quickly so that the society and families can be relieved from the hands of drugs,” she said.

The Prime Minister mentioned that when three organs of the country -- legislative, judiciary and executive -- work complementary to each other, then the country can run properly.

"In our Constitution that directive has been given very properly. The independence of the judiciary was also stated in the Constitution of 1972 very well," she said.

She urged the judiciary to take steps for introducing virtual courts in all jails across the country like it has been established in the Keraniganj Jail.

The Prime Minister briefly described various development activities of the government for the development of the judiciary.

Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Law Minister Anisul Huq and Law Secretary Md Golam Sarwar also spoke at the programme.

The Prime Minister renewed her call for writing verdicts in Bangla alongside English so that the common people can understand the judgments.

Saying that everyone is equal in the eyes of law, Sheikh Hasina highlighted various steps of her government for establishing an independent judiciary in the country as well as for the development of its infrastructure.

In this regard, she mentioned that the Law Commission was constituted to reform laws, multi-storied chief judicial magistrate buildings are being constructed in 42 districts, while the government has planned to construct such buildings in other districts.