DHAKA, – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the authorities concerned to translate the court verdicts into Bangla to make those understandable to common people alongside ensuring quick and hassle-free judgment.
“. . . Professional translators are now available and they should be engaged if anyone cannot write verdicts in Bangla as it is necessary to make the judgments comprehensible to common people,” she said.
The prime minister made this suggestion while inaugurating newly built Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Building, Dhaka. She joined the ceremony through video conferencing from her official residence -Ganabhaban.
Sheikh Hasina said most of the people understand verdicts by hearing those from their lawyers as those are written in English, but when the verdicts would be translated into Bangla simultaneously with English, the common people could know and understand those easily on their own.
“Fund would be provided if required, but I want that it is implemented,” she added.
The prime Minister said many became used to write verdict in English because of a long-time practice and that is why it should not be logical to pressurize them to write judgments in Bangla, but “in this case, I would say translating is not a difficult job as there is many professional translators and (you) can train up them.”
She also requested the chief justice and the law minister to take necessary measures to make easy the translation of the judicial words and terms which are not used in general.
Turning to the quick and hassle-free judgment, Sheikh Hasina said short-term, cost-effective and hassle-free judgment is right of the people and ensuring it would increase the trust of the people in the judiciary further.
Mentioning that a total of 37,94,908 cases have been pending in country’s different courts till Jun, 2020, she urged all concerned to find out ways to reduce the caseload in the quickest possible time.
“The government is ready to extend any cooperation to this end, but we don’t want this huge caseload remains pending,” said the Prime Minister, mentioning that her government would provide any type of cooperation in the cases of ensuring justice for people.
She said the government is working to build a developed and prosperous Bangladesh dreamt by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman where people will get justice and a peaceful, secured and happy life.
Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain addressed the function as special guest while Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq, MP, was in the chair.
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus conducted the programmme from Ganabhaban while Law and Justice Division Secretary Md. Golam Sarwar gave welcome speech from the other end.
Law minister handed over a replica of Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Building, Dhaka to the Prime Minister while law secretary unveiled the name plate of the building.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said section 27 of Bangladesh’s constitution mentions that all citizens are equal before the law and entitles all to equal protection of law while section 19 said the state shall endeavor to ensure equality of opportunity to all citizens.
“But, I and my younger sister (Sheikh Rehana) could not demand justice for the killing of the Father of the Nation as Ziaur Rahman had shut this scope of seeking justice through indemnity ordinance,” she continued.
Remembering their miserable days and wait for justice after the killing of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with other members of the family on August 15, 1975, she said none should suffer in the absence of justice like they did.
Sheikh Hasina said Awami League government always pledged to establish rule of law. “Whenever we come to power, we put our special attention to establishing the right of justice for all, rich and poor, and we are working relentlessly for it,” she added.
The Prime minister also spoke about rape and her government’s steps to tackle the menace.
She 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, she added.
The premier briefly described various development activities of the government for the development of the judiciary.
She said the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Building has been built in 29 districts while work is going on in 41 other districts.
Besides, a total of 1,126 judges in lower courts have been appointed in between 2010 and 2020 while 5,25,030 people during the period have received free legal aid, she added.
She said they have kept a separate space in Keraniganj jail for virtual court to avoid movement of prisoners and such facility would be introduced in other jails.
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 while Criminal Procedure Amendment Act-2009 for independent judiciary. Besides, anti-terrorism tribunals were set up in all divisions, 47 women and child repression prevention tribunals in 2018 and 2020 and seven human trafficking prevention tribunals .
