Supreme Court to launch '24/7 Judicial Helpline' for litigants and service seekers

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh is set to launch a 24/7 judicial helpline to assist litigants and service seekers who face difficulties in accessing services from the court's registry sections.

"The helpline service was initially launched on 25 September last year under the directive of Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed," Registrar General of the Supreme Court Dr Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan said today (20 July).

Speaking at a workshop on "Strengthening Investigative Journalism for Law Reporters," held at the Chattogram Circuit House, he also said, "Two helpline numbers were introduced to assist individuals during working hours from Sunday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm, excluding public holidays."

Aziz said the helpline is currently managed by two assistant registrars and provides direct support to callers.

He further said, "The service will soon be upgraded to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Speaking on broader reforms, he said, "On 21 September last year, Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed unveiled a roadmap for judicial reforms to strengthen the independence and efficiency of the judiciary."

"As part of the reform initiative, the Supreme Court submitted a formal proposal on 27 October 2024 to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, seeking the establishment of a separate Judicial Secretariat," he added.

He said the proposal includes a draft ordinance, a proposed organogram, and amendments to the Rules of Business.

"If implemented, the Judicial Secretariat would ensure unified control over administrative matters like posting, transfer, promotion, and discipline of judges in subordinate courts, which will eliminate the current dual control," he said.

Aziz added that the proposal is currently under review by the ministry.

He also said, "The mass media is a very important part of the judiciary system" and urged journalists to help identify gaps in the system through investigative reporting.

The workshop was organised by the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC) in partnership with the Supreme Court and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from the Embassy of Sweden.

Chaired by NIMC Director General Muhammad Hiruzzaman, the workshop was also addressed by Chattogram District and Sessions Judge Md Nurul Islam, Additional District Magistrate Sayed Mahbubul Hoque, and Romana Schweiger, Senior Rule of Law, Justice, and Security Advisor at UNDP Bangladesh.

Md Maruf Newaz, Director of Training at NIMC, gave the welcome speech.

Training sessions were conducted by Dr Md Saiful Alam Chowdhury, Associate Professor at the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka and Badruddoza Babu, Head of Capacity Building and Investigative Journalism Help Desk at MRDI.