Bangladesh's judiciary has been grappling with a backlog of cases that only grows larger by the day, exposing systemic challenges that have left litigants enduring prolonged waits.
By the end of 2024, over 45 lakh cases were pending in courts, including the Appellate Division and the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, according to Supreme Court data.
By December 31, 2024, the total number of pending cases in Bangladesh stood at 45 lakh. Of these:
- 31,606 cases are pending in the Appellate Division
- 5,89,651 in the High Court
- 38,95,832 in lower courts
- 74,259 in family courts
For comparison, India, with a population eight times greater than Bangladesh's, has:
- 82,000 pending cases in the Supreme Court
- 62,00,000 in the High Court
- 5,00,00,000 in lower courts
Nearly 50 lakh cases in the neighbouring nation have been in limbo for more than 10 years.
The judicial system in Pakistan has also struggled to deliver timely justice, given the substantial burden on the courts. Both the superior and lower courts face an overwhelming backlog of 21.44 lakh cases (as of 2024), according to DAWN.
Why it matters
A 2019 government report said that about 70% of civil cases in the country are land-related, and the average disposal time of such cases can be from 8 to 10 years. According to 2023 statistics, the average time to dispose of civil cases is about 5 to 6 years. Another 2022 report stated that 35% of civil cases remain pending for more than 5 years.
Such figures, along with the massive backlog of court cases, fundamentally undermine justice, equality, and public trust in the legal system.
When trials are delayed for years, even decades in some cases, victims are denied closure and innocent people languish in prison without trial. The powerful also often exploit such delays to evade accountability.
Prolonged inaction discourages citizens from seeking legal redress and pushes many toward informal or extrajudicial methods of dispute resolution.
To this day, several high-profile cases remain pending, like the 2009 BDR mutiny, which saw over 70 killed, including more than 50 army officers.
Similarly, various cases filed over the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse in Savar, which claimed the lives of over 1,000 readymade garment factory workers, have been stuck in court for 12 years now.
Beyond personal injustice, the backlog hampers economic growth by stalling business disputes and keeping property entangled in litigation. Ultimately, it weakens the rule of law and erodes faith in democratic institutions.
Overburdened Judiciary: Too few judges for too many cases
As of August 2024, Bangladesh's judicial system remains critically understaffed, with only six justices in the Appellate Division and 78 in the High Court Division, supported by roughly 1,800 lower court judges.
According to Law Commission findings in mid-2023, there was only one judge for every 94,444 people in Bangladesh.
A report by the Judiciary Reform Commission this year found that lower courts across the country have a total of 2,254 judges, of whom 319 are out of judicial activities.
This is a severely inadequate ratio for a population of 170 million.
For comparison, neighboring country India has one judge for every 47,619 people, Pakistan one justice for every 50,000 people.
In the US, there is one judge per 3,186 people.
Experts urge appointing more judges, digital overhaul
Quazi Mahfujul Hoque Supan, a member of the Judiciary Reform Commission, told Dhaka Stream that Bangladesh has been experiencing a concerning rise in the number of fabricated cases, which must be addressed seriously.
"Our commission recommended appointing retired judges on a contractual basis to expedite the resolution of pending cases, which would significantly help to reduce the existing case backlogs," he added.
Supan also highlighted the importance of promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms to more effectively utilise time. However, he noted that public interest in resolving cases through ADR remains low.
He also mentioned the need to digitalise traditional processes, especially at the initial stages.
"Introducing online systems for accepting case mentions and developing a more efficient framework for handling witness testimony could be instrumental in saving both time and judicial resources."
Supreme Court Lawyer Barrister Mohammad Mashiur Rahman echoed those sentiments, stressing to Dhaka Stream that there was no alternative to increasing judicial manpower to combat the towering backlog of cases.
"The insufficient number of judges makes it extremely difficult to resolve pending cases efficiently," he said, adding that a lack of judicial resources has led to prolonged delays in case resolutions, which in turn aggravates the backlog further and hinders the justice delivery system.
"At least 5,000 additional judges are urgently needed at various levels to address the backlog effectively," he said.
Additional District and Session Judge Mashur Salekin voiced his agreement with those statements, telling Dhaka Stream that the number of judges and support staff should be increased to ensure more efficient case management and timely justice.
He also said strengthening the use of pre-trial mediation can significantly help in resolving disputes early in family courts, thereby easing pressure.
What has been the progress so far?
Speaking at an event on July 15, Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed revealed that, as of March 31 this year, 74,259 cases were pending in family courts, established for expeditious settlement and disposal of disputes related to family matters.
Of these, 5,034 have been pending for more than five years.
However, he added that the same system has also delivered 10,089 disposals in the first quarter of 2025 alone.
"This is not a coincidence, it is a consequence. It is the result of judges taking initiative, Bar leaders acting responsibly, and our institutional focus shifting from process to people," he said.
Yet, the chief justice emphasised that amendments were still needed for the family court, including fixed timelines for the disposal of cases, mandatory case management conferences, and court-annexed mediation when appropriate.
Additionally, to address the growing overall backlog of cases, the interim government engaged the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in June this year to provide support to digitalise Bangladesh's judiciary and make it fully independent.
According to UNDP officials, it is working with court officials and experts to modemise and streamline case processing to address case backlogs. This includes reviewing procedural backlogs, redesigning workflow systems, and introducing faster adjudication mechanisms including the digitalisation of the courts.
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