Speakers at a participatory meeting have stressed for strengthening the village courts
through enhancing capacities of all stakeholders including public representatives to
ensure justice to the grassroots level rural people.
Hatibandha upazila administration organised the meeting at its auditorium in Lalmonirhat
on ‘Enhancing Awareness of Stakeholders for Activating Village Courts’ yesterday with
the assistances of Eco Social Development Organisation (ESDO).
The daylong workshop was arranged under ‘Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh
Project’ of the Local Government Division of the Local Government, Rural Development
and Cooperatives Ministry with the assistances of European Union and UNDP.
With Hatibandha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sarwar Hossain in the chair, Hatibandha
upazila chairman Bodiuzzaman Velu attended and addressed the meeting as the chief
guest.
Hatibandha upazila vice-chairmen Amjad Hossain Tazu and Mukti Rani Sarker,
Representative of UNDP Mohsin Abedin, Chairmen Golam Mostafa of Singhimari union
and Delwar Hossain of Dawabari union, addressed as the special guests.
Lalmonirhat District Administrative Officer of ESDO Golam Rabbani, its Monitoring
Officer Suman Sarker, Supervisor of the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Project
for Hatibandha upazila Kalpona Rani, also spoke.
Chairmen and members of different union parishads, union parishad secretaries, NGO
officials and executives, male and female beneficiaries of village courts, professionals,
journalists and elite participated in the workshop.
A number of beneficiary men and women narrated the benefits, they received from the
village courts and elaborated their understanding of the concept and the legal processes
associated with the village courts.
The speakers said the village courts have been benefiting the rural people ensuring
justice in hassle-free manner and creating congenial and friendly atmosphere among the
villagers to resolve minor disputes, problems, issues and conflicts amicably.
They stressed for further strengthening the village courts involving the elected public
representatives and building their capacities to assist the poor and distressed people in
getting justice without knocking doors of the law-enforcers and courts.
The chief guest stressed for providing more support and assistance to the local public
representatives in achieving the desired success through creating trust of the mass people
in the process and conduct of village courts to ensure justice at quicker period. -BSS,
Rangpur
