The dirty truth: unhygienic toilets at Dhaka's lower courts put staffers, visitors in awkward mess

The toilets in the courts are in such dire straits that it’s difficult to to even step into them

It was difficult to even walk into the Dhaka District and Metropolitan Sessions Judges Court a few days ago but the outside has now been bedecked with gardens replacing surrounding shops.

All that’s only on the outside; this facade masks internal issues.

At a place where thousands arrive everyday seeking justice, people lack access to a hygienic place - adequate toilets - to relieve themselves.

The condition of the toilets in the court is so alarming that it is difficult to even step into them.

Those seeking justice and even the lawyers have to turn to place outside court premises to relieve themselves.

But the situation of the women is particularly dire.

The washrooms of both the old and the new buildings of the Dhaka District and Sessions Judges Court are completely unusable.

Every toilet in the old building is littered with garbage and lacks essentials like hand wash or tissue to clean up. The basins have worn down while the floor is damp with dirty water.

The toilets in the new building fare no better as a pungent smell of excretion emanates from around it, forcing people to hold their breath to complete emergency tasks.

One of the toilets there has remained blocked off with a frame for a long time.

At the district judges court, a long corridor leads into some toilets but the narrowness of the corridor prevents people from using it. On top of that, it is filthy as well after “extensive” use.

The old six-floor building of the Dhaka District Judges Court has toilets on every floor, but each of them is under lock and key. The keys are with the court officials, so visitors cannot visit them.

The polyester on the ceiling of the toilet for the stamp vendors on the bottom floor is coming off.

A vendor, Ataur Rahman, said the polyester broke off to the ground a few days ago but no one was injured in the incident.

Some said that the buildings have only nine cleaners, though court officials claim there are at least 50 cleaners. Yet a lack of supervision of the toilets put them in such dire straits.

The lawyers themselves are irked by the state of the washrooms, saying years of complaints have brought no solution.

Mizanur Rahman Mamun, the president of the Dhaka Bar Association’s executive committee, said: “Polyester from the ceiling broke off on a judge during a trial at Dhaka’s Chief Judicial Magistrates Court during a trial.”

“And we are completely unable to use the washroom or toilets. Visitors can’t either. The cleaners don’t work properly. The number of toilets is also insufficient.”

Abdullah Abu, chief state prosecutor of the Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judges Court, said: “This problem is age old. We need more toilets which need cleaning. It is very important to decorate the court area. But people are suffering.”

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Session’s Judges Court’s second and a half floor, third and a half floor and fourth and a half floor each have toilets. All the other toilets are locked and only accessible to seniors and lawyers in leadership roles.

The Metropolitan Judges Court has a tin-shed toilet, but it is in shambles.

A Nazir or court staff, Shah Md Mamum said: “We need many more washrooms. But the buildings lack space. We only have two cleaners but need at least 25 of them.”

Installation of elevators

One of the myriad problems affecting the Dhaka’s District and Sessions Judges Court premises is the lack of sufficient and functional elevators.

On Mar 6, 2019, a lawyer was killed when the elevator of the old court building collapsed. Eleven other litigants and court employees were injured in the accident.

Of the new and old buildings, the new eight-storey building has three elevators, while the old six-storey building houses only two. Furthermore, one of the two elevators in the old building is reserved for judges’ use only.

According to the president of the Executive Committee of the Dhaka Bar Association, Mizanur Rahman Mamun, case hearings often go unheard as people stand in long queues waiting for the elevator to arrive.

As many as 27 courts are crowded with hundreds of thousands of litigants and other individuals in these two buildings every day.

Last year, Dhaka District and Sessions Judge AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan filed an application to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for the allocation of funds for the installation of two new elevators in the two buildings.

However, no actions were taken to ease the suffering of the people in the court premises by the ministry.

What are the authorities saying?

According to the Public Works Department Court Area Officer (ASSO), Mahmudul Hasan, tiles and other bathroom fittings purchased for the court washrooms were stolen from the premises previously.

“The sewage line is often clogged as drug addicts dump bottles of Phensedyl in it. Also, theft cannot be prevented on the grounds as the guards who are stationed outside are quite feeble in stature,” said Mahmudul while speaking of the deplorable conditions of the lower court.

The officer further blamed the city corporation authorities for the employment of the cleaners.

“The cleaners are not our responsibility,’’ he said.

Mahmudul added that the allocation of resources for the installation of the elevators and other renovations will be determined in a few days' time.

Md Khademul Islam, an advisor to Dhaka District Judgeship and Ministerial Welfare Association, has listed 18 renovation works which require immediate attention of the authorities.

Some of the repair works entail road works, renovation of the old six-storey building, construction of the Dhaka Judges Court Museum, installation of Bangabandhu’s mural and tiles for the hanging stairs, renovation of the drainage system, restoration works for the toilets in all buildings, and installation of manhole covers.

Although reform works have begun to resolve some of these issues, little to no cooperation has been received from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works in this regard.

The acting judge of Nezarat, Ariful Islam, has urged the parties to renovate and construct toilets on the court premises.

The executive engineer of Public Works, Shah Alam Farooq, did not respond to requests for his comment.

[Writing in English by Syed Mahmud Onindo and Ruhshabah Tabassum Huda]