Khadija Begum (45), a resident of Putia Union, Shibpur Upazila in Narsingdi is an example of how local justice systems can transform lives. After lending BDT 1,00,000 (USD 835) to her neighbor, Abdur Razzaq Bhuya, Khadija found herself in distress when Razzaq refused to repay the total amount on time. He only returned half while avoiding further payments. Desperate for a resolution, Khadija sought help from the District Legal Aid Office, which referred her case to the Village Court.

For a small fee of just BDT 20 (USD 0.17), Khadija submitted her case to the Village Court at Putia Union Parishad. The court quickly facilitated a settlement, where Razzaq agreed to pay the remaining BDT 50,000 (USD 417), starting with an immediate payment of BDT 10,000 (USD 83) and the rest by October 2024. With the initial payment ‍and previous savings, Khadija purchased a cow, improving her livelihood. “The justice I received through the Village Court in just 22 days could never have been achieved elsewhere,” she said. For a mere BDT 60 (USD 0.50), including the case fee and travel costs, Khadija not only recovered her money but also secured a brighter future.

Khadija’s story underscores the success of the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh (AVCB) Phase III Project, which provides a practical solution for local dispute resolution. With over 4 million cases burdening formal courts, access to justice remains a challenge, especially for the poor. To address this, the Government of Bangladesh enacted the Village Court Act, 2006, establishing a quasi-judicial system to handle minor disputes at the local level. The project was piloted from 2009 to 2015, followed by a second phase from 2016 to June 2022, supported by the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The success of these earlier phases led the Government to scale up the project across Bangladesh, excluding the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The goal is to provide justice to approximately 89 million rural citizens. Under AVCB Phase III, Village Courts have been activated in 3,041 Union Parishads (UPs). Village Courts now operate in a total of 4453 Union Parishads (UPs), which ensures affordable and timely justice. Khadija’s case exemplifies the transformative impact of this system.

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