Saturday, 29 November, 2025
Should Bangladesh strengthen Gram Adalat, the village court system, in every union, and can this institution truly empower rural women, most of whom are poor and have long been denied access to justice?
Information Secretary Mahbuba Farzana has given a clear answer: yes, Gram Adalat is empowering women in rural Bangladesh. Speaking at a consultative meeting on the Village Court Activation Project on Monday, she firmly stated that village courts can play an important role in resolving disputes at the local level while empowering women and marginalised communities, according to a report published in THE BANGLADESH EXPRESS on Tuesday.
The Information Secretary, herself a woman, reminded her audience that for generations village women in Bangladesh were deprived of justice, their voices stifled by poverty, distance, and entrenched social barriers. The Gram Adalat has opened a door where once there was none—bringing justice within reach at last. For this reason, she stressed, Bangladesh must place greater focus on Gram Adalat if it is to build a more sustainable and equitable future.
Her comments were not based on perception but on facts. Between February and June 2024, more than 115,000 cases were filed in Gram Adalats. Of these, over 30,000 were initiated by women. The settlement rate stood at 75.41 per cent, with an implementation rate of 89.51 per cent. Compensation totalling Tk 127.47 crore was awarded, and more than one million people were made aware of their rights through court-linked outreach programmes, according to data presented at the meeting.
These figures demonstrate the tangible benefits Gram Adalat has brought to rural women, who are increasingly stepping forward to demand justice. Nearly five decades after its inception, the institution still represents both promise and challenge: glimpses of empowerment alongside the continuing struggle against systemic weaknesses.
The Information Secretary, herself a woman, reminded her audience that for generations village women in Bangladesh were deprived of justice, their voices stifled by poverty, distance, and entrenched social barriers.
For rural women in Bangladesh, long silenced by poverty and patriarchal traditions, the Gram Adalat represents a rare glimmer of hope—an institution designed to hear voices that formal courts often ignore. By offering low-cost and accessible dispute resolution, the village court promises justice that is both closer to home and quicker to deliver.
Yet behind this promise lies a troubling question: can the Gram Adalat truly stand independent of local power structures, or will it become another arena where the poor and the voiceless are overshadowed by the influential?
The harsh reality is that justice in Bangladesh has long been associated with complexity, expense, and delay. For rural citizens—especially women and marginalised groups—the formal court system remains distant both geographically and socially. It was in response to these barriers that the idea of Gram Adalat was conceived in the years after independence. The Village Court Ordinance of 1976 first introduced the concept of local justice, and the Village Courts Act of 2006 later provided a more structured framework, defining composition, jurisdiction, and powers.
Each Gram Adalat is composed of five members, including the Union Parishad Chairman and representatives nominated by the disputing parties, designed to ensure fairness and community participation. Their jurisdiction is restricted to minor civil and criminal cases such as land disputes, petty theft, small-scale property damage, and family conflicts, with a financial ceiling of Tk 75,000. Lawyers are excluded, which helps to keep costs down and procedures simple.
The common people in Sakhipur upazila of Tangail have found the remedy of their difficulties in village court (gram adalat).
By late 2023, around 4,457 village courts were activated and functioning. The government’s goal, supported by the European Union and UNDP through the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh (AVCB) III Project, is to expand coverage to every Union Parishad, thereby ensuring universal access to local justice for rural populations, particularly the poor and vulnerable. The original vision was straightforward: to resolve disputes quickly, reduce the burden on formal courts, and preserve social harmony through reconciliation rather than prolonged litigation.
The question remains, however, whether the village court system can deliver results across the board, given the obstacles that persist. Yet in one crucial respect—women’s empowerment—its impact has been unmistakable.
A central promise of Gram Adalat lies in its role as an equaliser for women and the marginalised. Rural women, who often encounter legal and cultural barriers in seeking justice, are finding in these courts an avenue for redress. They now bring cases relating to dowry, domestic violence, inheritance, and property rights without prohibitive costs. Female members of Union Parishads participate in hearings, ensuring women’s perspectives are represented.
Campaigns under the Village Court Activation Project have strengthened women’s awareness of their rights, equipping them to act with greater confidence. By resolving disputes locally, village courts also help women avoid the long delays of higher courts.
Still, however, Gram Adalat remains far from realising its full potential. Not all Union Parishads have functional courts, particularly in the three hill districts where the system has not yet been established. Many villagers remain unaware of the courts’ existence, jurisdiction, or benefits, resulting in underutilisation. The Tk 75,000 financial ceiling excludes many significant disputes, while serious crimes such as rape, murder, and large-scale property conflicts remain outside their scope.
The influence of local elites, political patronage, and nepotism often undermines impartiality. Women and the poor continue to face discrimination in some settings. Courts suffer from shortages of trained personnel, logistical support, and incentives for members, which weakens their ability to operate effectively. Even when verdicts are delivered, enforcement may falter due to local resistance, corruption, or inadequate authority. Critics argue that, in some cases, Gram Adalat reproduces the very inequities it was intended to dismantle. Women complain of bias from male-dominated panels in family or dowry disputes, while others fear retaliation from powerful actors within their communities.
Yet despite these flaws, Gram Adalat remains a vital institution of grassroots justice in Bangladesh. Statistics from the current project phase suggest that when adequately resourced and monitored, village courts can deliver high rates of settlement and implementation, reinforcing their relevance as a trusted local body. In a country where more than 3.7 million cases remain pending in the formal judiciary, strengthening Gram Adalat is not optional but essential.
The Gram Adalat system is neither a panacea nor a failed experiment. It is a living institution, shaped by Bangladesh’s political, social, and cultural realities. But its weaknesses remind us that justice must be cultivated, not taken for granted.
For the institution to fulfil its mandate, several reforms are urgently needed. Village courts must be functional in all Union Parishads, including the hill districts. Public awareness campaigns should be intensified to dispel misconceptions and inform citizens about their rights, with the media playing a greater role in this effort. Training, incentives, and logistical support must be improved to build capacity, and stronger mechanisms are required to safeguard courts from political interference and elite capture. Consideration should also be given to raising the financial ceiling and broadening jurisdiction to reflect evolving rural realities. Above all, gender-sensitive reforms must be sustained to ensure women continue to benefit from this mechanism.
The Gram Adalat system is neither a panacea nor a failed experiment. It is a living institution, shaped by Bangladesh’s political, social, and cultural realities. It has delivered undeniable gains in women’s empowerment, in reducing case backlogs, and in providing accessible justice. But its weaknesses remind us that justice must be cultivated, not taken for granted.
The Bottom Line
For women in rural Bangladesh, justice delayed has too often meant justice denied; the Gram Adalat could be the mechanism to change that, provided it is strengthened, monitored, and protected from political interference. If properly resourced and genuinely inclusive, Gram Adalat could evolve into a cornerstone of gender-sensitive justice; if neglected, it risks becoming yet another broken promise in the long struggle for equality.
As Bangladesh pursues inclusive development and its Sustainable Development Goals, Gram Adalat can and should stand as a cornerstone of grassroots justice. With stronger institutions, greater awareness, and deeper gender sensitivity, it has the potential not only to serve as an alternative to formal courts but to become a model of justice rooted in the lived realities of ordinary people. Only then will Gram Adalat fulfil its founding vision: justice for all, not just the privileged few.
(The writer is Editor of The Bangladesh Express, Chairman of BJFCI, and an active voice in public life. He may be reached at [email protected]).
Comments
Should Bangladesh strengthen Gram Adalat, the village court system, in every union, and can this institution truly empower rural women, most of whom are poor and have long been denied access to justice?
Information Secretary Mahbuba Farzana has given a clear answer: yes, Gram Adalat is empowering women in rural Bangladesh. Speaking at a consultative meeting on the Village Court Activation Project on Monday, she firmly stated that village courts can play an important role in resolving disputes at the local level while empowering women and marginalised communities, according to a report published in THE BANGLADESH EXPRESS on Tuesday.
The Information Secretary, herself a woman, reminded her audience that for generations village women in Bangladesh were deprived of justice, their voices stifled by poverty, distance, and entrenched social barriers. The Gram Adalat has opened a door where once there was none—bringing justice within reach at last. For this reason, she stressed, Bangladesh must place greater focus on Gram Adalat if it is to build a more sustainable and equitable future.
Her comments were not based on perception but on facts. Between February and June 2024, more than 115,000 cases were filed in Gram Adalats. Of these, over 30,000 were initiated by women. The settlement rate stood at 75.41 per cent, with an implementation rate of 89.51 per cent. Compensation totalling Tk 127.47 crore was awarded, and more than one million people were made aware of their rights through court-linked outreach programmes, according to data presented at the meeting.
These figures demonstrate the tangible benefits Gram Adalat has brought to rural women, who are increasingly stepping forward to demand justice. Nearly five decades after its inception, the institution still represents both promise and challenge: glimpses of empowerment alongside the continuing struggle against systemic weaknesses.
The Information Secretary, herself a woman, reminded her audience that for generations village women in Bangladesh were deprived of justice, their voices stifled by poverty, distance, and entrenched social barriers.
For rural women in Bangladesh, long silenced by poverty and patriarchal traditions, the Gram Adalat represents a rare glimmer of hope—an institution designed to hear voices that formal courts often ignore. By offering low-cost and accessible dispute resolution, the village court promises justice that is both closer to home and quicker to deliver.
Yet behind this promise lies a troubling question: can the Gram Adalat truly stand independent of local power structures, or will it become another arena where the poor and the voiceless are overshadowed by the influential?
The harsh reality is that justice in Bangladesh has long been associated with complexity, expense, and delay. For rural citizens—especially women and marginalised groups—the formal court system remains distant both geographically and socially. It was in response to these barriers that the idea of Gram Adalat was conceived in the years after independence. The Village Court Ordinance of 1976 first introduced the concept of local justice, and the Village Courts Act of 2006 later provided a more structured framework, defining composition, jurisdiction, and powers.
Each Gram Adalat is composed of five members, including the Union Parishad Chairman and representatives nominated by the disputing parties, designed to ensure fairness and community participation. Their jurisdiction is restricted to minor civil and criminal cases such as land disputes, petty theft, small-scale property damage, and family conflicts, with a financial ceiling of Tk 75,000. Lawyers are excluded, which helps to keep costs down and procedures simple.
The common people in Sakhipur upazila of Tangail have found the remedy of their difficulties in village court (gram adalat).
By late 2023, around 4,457 village courts were activated and functioning. The government’s goal, supported by the European Union and UNDP through the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh (AVCB) III Project, is to expand coverage to every Union Parishad, thereby ensuring universal access to local justice for rural populations, particularly the poor and vulnerable. The original vision was straightforward: to resolve disputes quickly, reduce the burden on formal courts, and preserve social harmony through reconciliation rather than prolonged litigation.
The question remains, however, whether the village court system can deliver results across the board, given the obstacles that persist. Yet in one crucial respect—women’s empowerment—its impact has been unmistakable.
A central promise of Gram Adalat lies in its role as an equaliser for women and the marginalised. Rural women, who often encounter legal and cultural barriers in seeking justice, are finding in these courts an avenue for redress. They now bring cases relating to dowry, domestic violence, inheritance, and property rights without prohibitive costs. Female members of Union Parishads participate in hearings, ensuring women’s perspectives are represented.
Campaigns under the Village Court Activation Project have strengthened women’s awareness of their rights, equipping them to act with greater confidence. By resolving disputes locally, village courts also help women avoid the long delays of higher courts.
Still, however, Gram Adalat remains far from realising its full potential. Not all Union Parishads have functional courts, particularly in the three hill districts where the system has not yet been established. Many villagers remain unaware of the courts’ existence, jurisdiction, or benefits, resulting in underutilisation. The Tk 75,000 financial ceiling excludes many significant disputes, while serious crimes such as rape, murder, and large-scale property conflicts remain outside their scope.
The influence of local elites, political patronage, and nepotism often undermines impartiality. Women and the poor continue to face discrimination in some settings. Courts suffer from shortages of trained personnel, logistical support, and incentives for members, which weakens their ability to operate effectively. Even when verdicts are delivered, enforcement may falter due to local resistance, corruption, or inadequate authority. Critics argue that, in some cases, Gram Adalat reproduces the very inequities it was intended to dismantle. Women complain of bias from male-dominated panels in family or dowry disputes, while others fear retaliation from powerful actors within their communities.
Yet despite these flaws, Gram Adalat remains a vital institution of grassroots justice in Bangladesh. Statistics from the current project phase suggest that when adequately resourced and monitored, village courts can deliver high rates of settlement and implementation, reinforcing their relevance as a trusted local body. In a country where more than 3.7 million cases remain pending in the formal judiciary, strengthening Gram Adalat is not optional but essential.
The Gram Adalat system is neither a panacea nor a failed experiment. It is a living institution, shaped by Bangladesh’s political, social, and cultural realities. But its weaknesses remind us that justice must be cultivated, not taken for granted.
For the institution to fulfil its mandate, several reforms are urgently needed. Village courts must be functional in all Union Parishads, including the hill districts. Public awareness campaigns should be intensified to dispel misconceptions and inform citizens about their rights, with the media playing a greater role in this effort. Training, incentives, and logistical support must be improved to build capacity, and stronger mechanisms are required to safeguard courts from political interference and elite capture. Consideration should also be given to raising the financial ceiling and broadening jurisdiction to reflect evolving rural realities. Above all, gender-sensitive reforms must be sustained to ensure women continue to benefit from this mechanism.
The Gram Adalat system is neither a panacea nor a failed experiment. It is a living institution, shaped by Bangladesh’s political, social, and cultural realities. It has delivered undeniable gains in women’s empowerment, in reducing case backlogs, and in providing accessible justice. But its weaknesses remind us that justice must be cultivated, not taken for granted.
The Bottom Line
For women in rural Bangladesh, justice delayed has too often meant justice denied; the Gram Adalat could be the mechanism to change that, provided it is strengthened, monitored, and protected from political interference. If properly resourced and genuinely inclusive, Gram Adalat could evolve into a cornerstone of gender-sensitive justice; if neglected, it risks becoming yet another broken promise in the long struggle for equality.
As Bangladesh pursues inclusive development and its Sustainable Development Goals, Gram Adalat can and should stand as a cornerstone of grassroots justice. With stronger institutions, greater awareness, and deeper gender sensitivity, it has the potential not only to serve as an alternative to formal courts but to become a model of justice rooted in the lived realities of ordinary people. Only then will Gram Adalat fulfil its founding vision: justice for all, not just the privileged few.
(The writer is Editor of The Bangladesh Express, Chairman of BJFCI, and an active voice in public life. He may be reached at [email protected]).
Comments
