Justice Delayed: Over 10 Lakh Cases Pending in Women and Children Tribunals

More than one million cases are currently pending in the country’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals, with over 10,000 rape cases remaining unresolved for more than five years. Rights groups say the prolonged delays highlight deep structural problems in the justice system and demand urgent reforms.

A coalition of 17 legal and human rights organisations, known as the Rape Law Reform Coalition, has called for comprehensive changes to rape laws as well as reforms in the judicial and law enforcement systems. The demands were raised at a press conference in the capital, organised with the support of Feminist Opportunity Now.

Speakers at the event expressed serious concern over the extremely low conviction rate in rape cases. Shashwatee Biplob, associate director of BRAC’s Gender Justice and Diversity programme, said the conviction rate is less than one percent, describing it as nearly non-existent and a clear indication of systemic failure.

Legal experts also highlighted difficulties survivors face when attempting to report incidents. Zakia Anarkoli, vice president of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association, said police often fail to cooperate when victims try to file general diaries (GD). According to her, many officers insist on using a rigid online GD format and refuse to include important details in written complaints, which weakens cases from the very beginning.

Concerns were also raised about the effectiveness of government support services. Kamrun Nahar, a member of the coalition, criticised the national 109 helpline, claiming that callers often only hear an automated welcome message without being connected to real assistance.

She further noted that One-Stop Crisis Centres (OCC) sometimes close early, making it difficult for survivors to receive urgent support. She described situations where survivors arrive at these centres in the afternoon only to find them closed, leaving them without immediate help.

During the event, Advocate Ayesha Akhter presented a 10-point reform proposal from the coalition. She acknowledged that in some cases false complaints related to violence against women are filed to settle personal disputes, including land conflicts, which further burdens the judicial system.

In their concluding statement, the coalition urged the government to establish a special state task force to expedite the resolution of the 10,000 long-pending rape cases. They also called for measures to prevent political interference and forced out-of-court settlements that allow offenders to avoid legal consequences.

The coalition’s 10-point demand includes ensuring fair and timely investigations, guaranteeing swift justice for perpetrators, providing protection and compensation for victims and witnesses, and holding government service providers accountable for negligence. They also recommended expanding the legal definition of rape to make it non-discriminatory and consistent with international human rights standards.

Other proposals include ensuring justice for survivors with disabilities, enacting a comprehensive victim and witness protection law, strictly enforcing the amended Evidence Act that prohibits questioning a survivor’s character during cross-examinations, improving coordination among healthcare providers, the judiciary and NGOs, and converting the Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 into a full and comprehensive law.