LGRD Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday stressed on strengthening the village courts and appointing women in village police posts to enhance the justice at local level, make local government effective and increase women's participation in rural administration.
Speaking to a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the Secretariat he said, "Village courts have been an important mechanism for resolving rural disputes for more than a hundred years. By settling minor disputes quickly at the local level, it will reduce the pressure on the conventional courts and common people will get justice more easily."
The meeting discussed the progress and institutional development of the village court project to ensure accessible, speedy and low-cost justice for the rural people.
The meeting also highlighted the issue of increasing women's participation in local government institutions.
Expressing interest in recruiting women in the village police force, Mirza Fakhrul said, "Greater participation of women will make the activities of the local government more effective, transparent and people-friendly."
He also mentioned that female village police members can play an important role in addressing social problems related to women and children at the community level.
The BNP Secretary General said, "The capacity of local government institutions needs to be further strengthened to effectively implement development and social protection programmes. In this regard, technical and institutional assistance from development partners can play an important role."
In the meeting, the government and UNDP expressed hope to increase the effectiveness of village courts, ensure justice at the local level and strengthen mutual cooperation in women's empowerment.
The four-member team of UNDP was led by Sonali Dayaratne, Deputy Resident Representative in Bangladesh.
