Mandatory mediation cuts new case filings by 62% on average, says law minister
He said the initiative has shown promising results in easing pressure on courts and could play a key role in tackling the country's longstanding case backlog.
Mandatory pre-litigation mediation has reduced new case filings by an average of 62.02% in districts where it was introduced on a pilot basis, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman said today (21 July).
He said the initiative has shown promising results in easing pressure on courts and could play a key role in tackling the country's longstanding case backlog.
The minister made the remarks while virtually inaugurating mandatory pre-case mediation activities in 10 more districts.
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Speaking from the Law Ministry conference room in Dhaka, the minister said nearly 45 lakh cases are currently pending across the country, placing a heavy burden on the judicial system.
He said allowing disputes to be resolved before cases are filed saves litigants time, money and hardship, while also reducing pressure on the courts.
According to the minister, data from the pilot programme in 20 districts showed a sharp decline in case filings between February and May this year compared with the same period in 2025.
Cases filed under the Family Courts Act fell from 3,559 to 1,744, a decline of nearly 51%.
Partition suits in Civil Judge courts dropped from 2,001 to 661, down by 66.97%.
Pre-emption cases under the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act fell from 17 to two, while those under the Non-Agricultural Tenancy Act declined from 31 to 14.
Cases filed under the Dowry Prohibition Act dropped from 5,605 to 1,810, representing a 67.71% decrease. Cases under the Maintenance of Parents Act also declined from 43 to 35.
Overall, new case filings fell by an average of 62.02%, he said.
The minister said reducing the inflow of new cases would make it easier to clear the existing backlog.
He also urged judges to refer suitable pending cases to District Legal Aid Offices for mediation, saying this would help make the judicial process more efficient.
Expressing optimism, he said coordinated efforts by courts, District Legal Aid Offices, lawyers and other stakeholders could significantly reduce the number of pending cases within the next year.
The minister also called on the media to raise public awareness of free legal aid and mediation services so that more people, particularly the poor and marginalised, could benefit from quicker dispute resolution.
Highlighting the situation in Cox's Bazar, where more than one lakh cases are pending, he urged judges and judicial officials to take steps to visibly reduce the backlog over the next three months. He said progress would be reviewed on 30 September.
The minister also thanked development partners Jica, GIZ and UNDP for supporting the implementation of the mediation programme and reiterated the government's zero-tolerance stance against corruption in mediation activities.
The programme was expanded to Bogura, Thakurgaon, Patuakhali, Bhola, Natore, Jashore, Shariatpur, Cox's Bazar, Panchagarh and Tangail under the Legal Aid Services (Amendment) Act, 2026.
Under the law, disputes relating to seven specified laws in these districts must first go through mediation at District Legal Aid Offices before cases can be filed in court.
