Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman said effective mediation could significantly reduce the backlog of about 4.5 million cases pending in Bangladesh’s courts. He made the remarks on Saturday at a hotel in the capital while addressing the closing ceremony of a two-day basic mediation training programme for legal professionals. The programme was organized under a project on expanding access to justice and improving civil case management.

The minister described mediation as an effective dispute-resolution method that can reduce litigants’ time, costs and mental hardship while ensuring faster, affordable justice. He said ensuring justice for poor, marginalized and underprivileged people, as well as victims of human rights violations, is among the government’s priorities. The National Legal Aid Services Organization is working to bring justice closer to such people, he added.

Asaduzzaman said a culture of resolving most disputes through discussion should be developed, except murder and other serious cognizable offences. Under the project, one female and one male mediator with the best performance will receive advanced training in Japan. Representatives from JICA Bangladesh, Japan’s Ministry of Justice and Bangladesh’s National Legal Aid Services Organization also spoke at the event.