Mayors demand 40-fold rise in dispute resolution limit for municipalities

Mayors and civil society members are calling for an amendment to the Conciliation of Dispute (Municipal Areas) Board Act to increase the financial limit for dispute resolution from Tk25,000 to Tk10 lakh.

The demand comes as the jurisdiction of village courts, which handle similar local disputes, is set to be raised to Tk3 lakh. Mayors argue that the current limit for financial settlement of disputes insufficient to address many common issues faced by residents.

Khaled Hossain Yead, mayor of Madaripur Municipality and secretary general of the Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB), "Having a base of Tk25,000 looks bad. Now, either it should be removed or the law should be amended with our proposal to keep the limit at Tk10 lakh."

Khaled Hossain spoke at a national seminar titled "Need for Amendment of Conciliation of Dispute (Municipal areas) Board Act, 2004" held at BRAC Centre Inn in the capital today (29 May). 

He emphasised the importance of resolving disputes locally to reduce the burden on the court system. "There are currently 42 lakh cases pending in the country," he said. "If we didn't resolve them locally, the number would be much higher."

The event was co-organised by several organisations, including the Madaripur Legal Aid Association, MAB, The Asia Foundation-Bangladesh, and Citizens Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), chaired the event. The chief guest was Tazul Islam, minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

Minister Tazul acknowledged the concerns raised and expressed openness to amending the Act. He emphasised the need for thorough discussions and consultations to ensure any changes are well-considered.

"When we make laws at 13 different levels of the country, each level is scrutinised," Tazul said. "We take opinions to make and amend error-free laws. Today's discussion topic will also be amended through high-level discussions."

Panchagarh Municipality Mayor Zakia Khatun highlighted the urgency of reform. "Considering current land prices, Tk10 lakh is a very low limit," she said. "Residents come to us for dispute resolution all the time. Amending the Act is essential."

Human rights activist Noor Khan Liton advocated for broader reforms. "The law should allow for appeals in all cases," he said. "We also need clear rules for implementing the Act."

Other speakers called for simplifying the process of enforcing verdicts, changing the name of the Act to "Municipal Court," and clarifying procedures for handling objections to the mayor's neutrality or appointing a replacement when the mayor is unavailable.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya underscored the importance of accessible justice at the local level.

"We hope this law is amended quickly," he said. "One of the ideals of Bangladesh's independence is the right to rule of law and justice for all citizens, not just those who can access the Supreme Court in Dhaka. This amendment will bring justice closer to the people, and that's the spirit of 1971.