The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Separation of judiciary started to give positive results in quick disposal of cases in Barisal. In last 29 days since separation of judiciary on November 01, 2007, total 778 criminal cases have been disposed, while the number of newly filed cases in this period was 738.

Advocate Mirza Salahuddin Ahmed, public prosecutor of Barisal district judge court, expressing his satisfaction at the number of disposed case, said that previously one fourth of this number of disposal could not be achieved.

Magistrates of the lower courts before separation of judiciary were so busy with their executive functions that they could not afford enough time for judicial function, the PP added.

He further told that executive magistrates had to attend so many executive functions including protocol duty of ministers and other high officials in this divisional city and gate way of southern region.

The administrative magistrates could not sit in their court before afternoon and even then on many occasions they could not attend the courts for the whole day as urgent matters suddenly had to be attended by them.

Date after date litigant public and justice seekers had to go back home in vain after long whole day wait. Worst sufferers were they who had to come with witness and the persons accused and bound to attend court, he told.

Now the picture in court areas is totally different after separation of judiciary. Four courts acting in the capacity of judicial magistrates sitting regularly at 9-30 am in the morning of the office days and continued till the work load is done.

Chief metropolitan magistrate Mainuddin Islam takes cognizance of the cases and hears the bail pettions.This court even works up to 8 or 10 PM at night.

There are three other courts engaged for carrying functions of judicial magistrates in Barisal.

Almas Mridha, in the additional chief judicial magistrate, Khademul Keyes, senior chief judicial magistrate and Debasis Nag, senior judicial magistrate, conducted trial of the cases systematically distributed by contingence court of chief judicial magistrate.

Advocate Mirza Salahuddin, the PP however said that at least one more court is need as cognizance court as one court is not enough for taking cognizance of the cases of ten upazila magistrate courts of Barisal district.

President of Barisal district Bar Association Advocate Dilip Kumar Ghosh and Secretary Advocate Syeed Golam Masud Babul also expressed the same views. Theses courts function regularly free of any external pressure to the satisfaction of the lawyers and litigant public.

However at present 10,043 criminal cases are pending but disposal rate is very good, they added.

Biplob Kumar Roy assistant public prosecutor wanted early dates of the cases and said long dates are often given in cases which discourage litigant public and otherwise every thing is going well after separation of judiciary including the the controlling of crowd inside the court room.