The government has undertaken a series of short and long-term measures to reduce the backlog of cases and ensure their speedy disposal across the country, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md. Asaduzzaman told Parliament on Thursday.
He said amendments to key procedural laws have already been passed in the current session of parliament to modernise judicial processes.
The minister said this while replying to a starred tabled question from treasury bench lawmaker elected from Noakhali-1 AM Mahbub Uddin.
“The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2026 introduced provisions for serving summons through SMS and voice calls, submission of complaints and written statements via affidavit and direct cross-examination. It also allows execution applications to be filed within the original cases, eliminating the need for separate execution suits,” he said.
It aims to reduce unnecessary delays by simplifying procedures, including provisions to bypass proclamation and attachment processes for absconding accused in certain cases, and introducing digital methods for summons service.
He said testimonies of investigation officials, doctors and magistrates recording confessions are now being taken online under the Information Technology Act, 2020, enabling faster trial without requiring physical presence of witnesses.
To ease the workload, he said separate judicial magistrate courts have been designated allowing magistrates to focus more on trial proceedings.
A total of 871 courts and 232 judgeships have already been created, while the process to create 304 additional judges post is underway, said the minister.
Recruitment of 150 civil judges and over 1,200 judicial staff is also in progress, he said.
Md. Asaduzzaman added that mediation has been made mandatory in selected disputes through the Legal Aid Services (Amendment) Act, 2026 before filing cases in courts, which has significantly reduced litigation in pilot districts.
“Free legal aid services have been expanded, including a hotline (16699), online services, and support for expatriates, he said.
The minister said infrastructure development is also ongoing, with plans to construct chief judicial magistrate court buildings in 23 districts and expand facilities in others.
Digital initiatives such as e-bail bond management (already operational in 16 districts), e-family courts in Dhaka and Chattogram, and fully online cause lists have improved transparency and efficiency, he added.
Besides, information and service centers have been set up in all district judge and chief judicial magistrate court premises to assist litigants.
“Projects like digital marriage and divorce registration and a comprehensive “e-Judiciary” system are also in progress to fully digitize judicial operations,” he said.
The minister said reforms to the Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972 are underway to improve the quality of legal professionals.
He expressed optimism that these coordinated measures will gradually reduce case backlog and ensure faster, transparent and cost-effective justice delivery for citizens.