Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today said that after being freed from one and a half decades of fascist rule and exploitation, an accountable and democratic government has been established in the country through direct votes of the people. 

“The people have regained their lost democratic political rights,” he said while inaugurating the e-bail bond system in seven more districts including Bogura at a function at the District and Sessions Judge Court premises here this morning.

At that time, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the newly constructed building of the Bogura District Bar Association at the court premises.

Tarique Rahman, also the Chairman of ruling BNP, said that it is now the demand of time to ensure that no autocrat or subservient group can ever again snatch away the rights of the people and establish fascist rule in the country. 

“With that goal, the present government has taken appropriate steps to strengthen every constitutional institutions of the country,” he added.

Prime Minister's wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman were present at the event, among others.

The Prime Minister said that unless the rule of justice is established in the country through coordination among the three branches—legislative, executive and judiciary— the benefits of democratic rights of the citizens will not be ensured. 

Establishing justice to ensure social balance, equality and rights is one of the key elements of a modern state system, he said, adding, it is essentially a fundamental aspect of establishing morality, law and the rightful rights of people.

Tarique Rahman said that the proclaimer of the country’s independence, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, had opened the door to the independence of judiciary of Bangladesh.
 
Noting that the role of judges is key in establishing the rule of law, he said therefore, Ziaur Rahman had opened the door to the independence of the country’s judiciary which had been taken away through the fourth amendment of the constitution. 

“But during the fascist regime, the judiciary was turned into a partisan court,” the premier added.

Claiming that although the country was ruled in the name of law, he said, there was no justice in the country.
 
The Prime Minister said in August 2024, the freedom-loving people of the country were freed from the rule of darkness.  “Therefore, the present government is committed to establishing the people’s right to justice through establishing the rule of justice in the country.” 

If people can firmly believe that the court is not a place of harassment but a safe place to get justice, Tarique Rahman said, then ‘mob violence’ will also be eliminated from society. 
“Thus, the present government wants to establish the judiciary as a place of ‘justice and trust’,” he added.

About the ‘e-bail bond’ system, the Prime Minister said that the government is implementing the programme of the ‘e-bail bond’ system to reduce harassment of people in the judicial process by establishing a corruption-free, transparent and independent judicial system, as part of transforming judicial administration and judicial process into a fully electronic system and modernizing the judiciary.

If the ‘e-bail bond’ system can be introduced in all courts across the country, it would help establish justice by removing delays and discrimination in getting justice, he added.

Stating that the rule of law and justice are complement to each other, the BNP chairman said, “I think that the rule of law is not the last word in a state, but the establishment of justice is the most important. That’s why the present government wants to establish justice in the state and society”.

Noting that establishing justice requires upright judges, he said, “I believe that the e-bail bond system in the bail process is a significant step in the journey towards establishing justice for litigants”.
Tarique Rahman said that through the ‘e-bail bond’ system of submitting bail documents online, the bail document reaches the concerned person within a short time, reducing harassment of litigants. 

Earlier, to complete a bail document, it had to pass at least 13 steps including lawyers, clerks, magistrates, police and peons from court to prison, he added. 
After the introduction of the ‘e-bail bond’ system, now the bail document reaches the concerned person within a short time, the Prime Minister said, adding, that’s why, the present government has decided to bring all courts of the country under the ‘e-bail bond’ system.

As part of that, he said, from today, the ‘e-bail bond’ system has been introduced in court activities in Bogura, Jhenaidah, Jashore, Magura, Rajshahi, Natore and Kushtia districts. 
As a result, the premier said, harassment in the release process after getting bail will be reduced, and on the other hand, the opportunity for activities of opposing parties or middlemen or incidents of bail document forgery will also decrease.

Since a judge will verify the bail order and send it directly online to the prison administration, Tarique Rahman said, the prison administration will be able to release the concerned person immediately after receiving the bail order. 

As a result, the ‘e-bail bond’ system will end unnecessary harassment and suffering of people in the judicial system, he added.

The Prime Minister said that the government has a plan to link the ‘e-bail bond’ system with police CDMS, court case management system and national ID card verification. 

To reduce public sufferings, he said, the present government will continue initiatives to modernize the judiciary by bringing the entire judicial process under a computerized system.

Tarique Rahman said, “The present government will complete production warrants, release orders and warrant recall from police stations through online platforms in the judicial system, InshaAllah”. 

If this is possible, he said, bail hearings will be simplified by quickly sending ‘subpoena’ online when an accused from one district is arrested in another district. 
As a result, the bad culture of keeping ordinary people imprisoned through police harassment and fake warrants will be eradicated, the premier added.

“Not only development of technology, we want development of mindset.

 We want to build such a Bangladesh where there will be no difference between the Prime Minister or ministers, police or officials and an ordinary citizen in the judicial system”. 

“We believe that (ensuring) ‘access to justice for all’ is not a matter of charity or mercy, it is a constitutional right of every citizen,” he continued.

The Prime Minister said that today’s digital initiative is a huge milestone in establishing that right and thanked the law ministry, prison authorities and all IT experts and officials who worked behind this system. 

He called upon lawyers and members of the Bar Association to warmly accept this technology and play a leading role in ensuring quick service for litigants.

Stating that at least 30 percent of people in prisons are forced to remain without trial for years due to unnecessary reasons or inability to hire lawyers due to lack of money, the Prime Minister instructed the law minister to look into what can be done in this regard.