Pre-case mediation yields ‘encouraging’ results, says law minister

The programme has been expanded to 10 more districts

Mandatory pre-case mediation, aimed at settling disputes before they reach court, is showing promising results in easing Bangladesh’s case backlog, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman has said.

Launching the initiative virtually in 10 districts on Tuesday, he said greater progress in clearing the case backlog would be possible if the initiative could be implemented “more effectively”.

Noting that around 4.5 million cases are currently pending across the country, Asaduzzaman said creating the scope for dispute resolution before cases reach court would cut the time, cost and suffering faced by litigants, while easing pressure on the courts.

Citing pilot project data, he said case filings fell by an average of 62.02 percent in the 20 districts running pre-case mediation, comparing February-May 2026 with the same period in 2025.

According to the data, family court cases fell by 51 percent during this period, dropping from 3,559 to 1,744.

Partition-related cases under civil judge courts' jurisdiction fell by 66.97 percent, dowry prohibition cases by 67.71 percent, and cases under the Parents' Maintenance Act by 18.6 percent.

The law minister urged judges to refer pending cases that could be resolved through discussion to district legal aid offices for mediation.

Under Section 21B of the Legal Aid Services (Amendment) Act, 2026, mandatory pre-case mediation has now been launched in 10 fresh districts: Bogura, Thakurgaon, Patuakhali, Bhola, Natore, Jashore, Shariatpur, Cox's Bazar, Panchagarh and Tangail.

In these districts, disputes under seven laws must go through mediation at the district legal aid office before a case can be filed in court.

The minister praised the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in implementing the programme.

Addressing mediators, Asaduzzaman said the role should be treated not merely as a job, but as public service and a challenge to be taken seriously.