Bangladesh’s Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md. Anisul Haque stated that mandatory pre-case mediation is producing encouraging results in reducing new case filings and facilitating faster dispute resolution. Speaking virtually from Dhaka at the inauguration of the program in ten districts on Tuesday, he said the initiative has already shown significant progress in lowering the number of cases filed under various laws.

According to the minister, around 4.5 million cases are currently pending in the country’s courts, creating heavy pressure on the judiciary. A pilot project in 20 districts demonstrated that between February–May 2025 and the same period in 2026, case filings dropped by an average of 62.02 percent across several legal categories. He urged judges to refer suitable pending cases for mediation through district legal aid offices to accelerate proceedings and called on the media to raise public awareness about free legal aid services.

The minister inaugurated the program in Bogura, Thakurgaon, Patuakhali, Bhola, Natore, Jashore, Shariatpur, Cox’s Bazar, Panchagarh, and Tangail under the Legal Aid (Amendment) Act 2026. He emphasized zero tolerance for corruption in mediation and praised the support of JICA, GIZ, and UNDP.