Violence against women: It takes 8 months to press charges, 6 years to hear witness
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Thursday
August 11, 2022

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
Violence against women: It takes 8 months to press charges, 6 years to hear witness

Court

TBS Report
06 December, 2019, 09:45 pm
Last modified: 08 December, 2019, 06:22 pm

Related News

  • Here is how trade disputes pile up, wreak havoc on businesses
  • 16 children to get trial Covid jabs on Thursday
  • 295 girls and women were victims of torture in the country in July
  • Global Gender Gap Report triggers debate on womens’ condition in Pakistan
  • Pakistan court summons PM Shehbaz, his son Hamza in money laundering case

Violence against women: It takes 8 months to press charges, 6 years to hear witness

The numbers will be in the upward trend even in the far future because of many factors, according to a projection made from a research

TBS Report
06 December, 2019, 09:45 pm
Last modified: 08 December, 2019, 06:22 pm
Representational image
Representational image

At Cox's Bazar tribunals dealing with women and children's cases, about 1,000 cases are pending for more than five years. Such trend of case piling amounted to as many as 4,000 cases undergoing trial in one tribunal.

The numbers will be in the upward trend even in the far future because of many factors, according to a projection made from a research. Inefficiency of the prosecution and investigation officials is the most concerning of all.

For example, in one of the cases, police submitted the charge sheet eight months after the case was filed. And then the prosecution took five years to prepare for the recording of witnesses' deposition. The case was finally disposed of seven years later, with the accused found not guilty.  

The legal system that is grappling with a mountainous number of cases is itself flawed as well. It can be better illustrated with the fact that court rooms are time-shared by multiple tribunals.

This means a judge cannot use whole office hours for the trial of women and children repression cases.

Such a picture of dealings came up in a dialogue joined by judges of the women and children repression prevention tribunals across the country and the Supreme Court divisions, the first of the kind. Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain graced the event.

The programme organised on Thursday by Bangladesh Women Judges Association and UNDP started off with a presentation by Mahboob Murshed, advocate of the Supreme Court. He carried out a research between April and July this year to find out why the legal system has been failing to deliver victims due justice.

Lower court judges in the event elaborated on the hurdles they face in regular court sessions.  

The researcher had looked into the proceedings of the Cox's Bazar tribunals.

According to his findings, the tribunals granted adjournments that had been sought "on unjustified grounds" and no reasons were recorded while granting them.

There were also delayed investigations and execution of summons, and warrants and tribunals' reluctance in going by the legal provisions liming time for investigation and trial.

Many tribunal judges, however, said they were navigating the system with a dearth of logistics and support staff and having to deal with an unrealistic number of pending cases. An increasing number of cases are also being added to the list by the month, they said.

On reasons behind the piling of cases, Mahboob Murshed cited a 1998 report of the law commission.

A lack of fulltime investigation team and coordination among different branches of the prosecution was cited as the major cause. Non-cooperation of lawyers and the absence of effective supervision of the judicial system were also prevalent.

All these factors weighing down the court procedures are still relevant, as suggested by the researcher.

Moreover, there has been no deterrent for filing false cases because any legal action should be followed by a written complaint from the aggrieved persons as per the law.  

Justice M Enayetur Rahim, of the High Court, said judges have to be innovative and thoughtful while striving to find solutions.

A bit of homework can help them identify in a case the significant witnesses who would influence the trial outcome and accordingly the judges can rein in the ever-stretching court proceedings.

Prioritizing cases is also important, said Justice Enayetur, adding, "When there must be cases destined to go nowhere with realities making that obvious, cases of rape of children, murder should get more importance for quick trial and disposal."

There are still persisting problems that require government interventions, for example the lack of infrastructure and a dedicated investigation team.

Bangladesh / Top News

court / women / children

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Infograph: TBS
    Control on liquor import boosts local Carew sales
  • Debapriya Bhattacharya. TBS Sketch
    Economic uncertainties unlikely to come under control in a year: Dr Debapriya
  • HC asks why govt didn't ask for info from Swiss bank
    HC asks why govt didn't ask for info from Swiss bank

MOST VIEWED

  • HC asks why govt didn't ask for info from Swiss bank
    HC asks why govt didn't ask for info from Swiss bank
  • Infograph: TBS
    Here is how trade disputes pile up, wreak havoc on businesses
  • Kazi Habibul Awal. Photo: Collected
    EVM forgery in Ctg: CEC among 23 sued
  • Representational Image
    Corruption cannot be allowed to continue: HC
  • Appellate Division upholds Samrat’s bail cancellation order
    Appellate Division upholds Samrat’s bail cancellation order
  • Rape, robbery on moving bus: 6 accused on 3-day remand
    Rape, robbery on moving bus: 6 accused on 3-day remand

Related News

  • Here is how trade disputes pile up, wreak havoc on businesses
  • 16 children to get trial Covid jabs on Thursday
  • 295 girls and women were victims of torture in the country in July
  • Global Gender Gap Report triggers debate on womens’ condition in Pakistan
  • Pakistan court summons PM Shehbaz, his son Hamza in money laundering case

Features

Bye bye! Photographer: Michael Zarrilli/Getty Images North America via Bloomberg

Three major takeaways from the FBI search on Trump’s home

27m | Panorama
Shafia Siddiqi (left) and Simran Akter (right). Photo: Noor A Alam

Big dreams in small rooms: The aspiring nurses of Geneva Camp

3h | Panorama
Illustration: TBS

How to deal with toxic people at work

3h | Pursuit
Women were more likely to report leaving the workforce between March 2020 and September 2021 than their male counterparts. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

Being single and smart is bad for your career if you are a woman

3h | Pursuit

More Videos from TBS

Anwar Industrial Group which started with Tk360 capital, now a thousand crore taka company

Anwar Industrial Group which started with Tk360 capital, now a thousand crore taka company

17m | Videos
Is this a new horizon in medical science?

Is this a new horizon in medical science?

4h | Videos
Can sleep help you become successful?

Can sleep help you become successful?

5h | Videos
Military drills to prepare invasion, says Taiwan

Military drills to prepare invasion, says Taiwan

5h | Videos

Most Read

1
Dollar crisis: BB orders removal of 6 banks’ treasury chiefs 
Banking

Dollar crisis: BB orders removal of 6 banks’ treasury chiefs 

2
Diesel price hiked by Tk34 per litre, Octane by Tk46
Energy

Diesel price hiked by Tk34 per litre, Octane by Tk46

3
Photo: Collected
Transport

Will Tokyo’s traffic model solve Dhaka’s gridlocks?

4
Infographic: TBS
Banking

Dollar rate will be left to market after two months: Governor

5
Arrest warrant against Habib Group chairman, 4 others 
Crime

Arrest warrant against Habib Group chairman, 4 others 

6
File Photo: State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid
Energy

All factories to remain closed once a week under rationing system

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2022
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]