Code of Civil Procedure reform to allow summons by phone call, text message

Government approves major reforms to speed up trials, digitise summons, and curb fake lawsuits under CPC

The government is set to bring major changes to the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), enabling summons via phone call or text message (SMS).

Fines for fake lawsuits will rise, while tighter trial timelines aim to speed up land-related cases.

The advisory council chaired by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus took a policy decision during a meeting on Thursday at the Tejgaon office in Dhaka.

Following the meeting, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan briefed reporters at the Foreign Service Academy.

“For the first time, two ordinances are being prepared as part of implementing the recommendations made by the reform commissions,” Rizwana said.

The Judicial Reform Commission had earlier suggested amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure, originally enacted during British rule.

The advisory council has now given policy approval to several of those proposed changes.

“The aim of these changes is to ensure quicker disposal of land dispute cases, saving both time and money for litigants,” said the advisor.

“The reforms also seek to prevent unnecessary delays in proceedings through various pretexts,” she added.

Key changes proposed under the new reforms include:

The need to initiate a separate execution case after a judgement will be removed, as execution provisions will now be included in the judgement itself.

Limits will be set on how many times a party can seek adjournments.

The number of cases that can be listed for full and partial hearings per day will be specified.

Traditional methods of issuing summons will be replaced with modern communication technologies, such as phone calls and text messages.

Penalties for filing false or malicious cases will increase from Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000.

The council also approved a policy decision to sign an international convention on sharing the waters of transboundary rivers.

There are currently two main international conventions on transboundary water resource management.

The 1997 Convention, which came into force in 2014, required the signatures of at least 36 upstream countries and took 17 years to meet that threshold.

A separate 1992 Convention targeting the European Union was later opened for global accession in 2016.

So far, 11 non-EU countries, mostly from Africa, have signed it.

“We have decided to sign this 1992 convention on transboundary watercourses and international lakes,” said Rizwana.

“All inter-ministerial discussions and preparations have already been completed.”

“Bangladesh will accede to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, 1992. This will mark the beginning of Asian countries joining the convention,” she said.

Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqur Alam also attended the press briefing.