The Supreme Court (SC) of Bangladesh is soon going to introduce digital systems to keep its records and documents on updated website and on digital display boards and LCD monitors in the court complex to ensure easy public access to the functioning of the top judiciary.
The digitalisation will be implemented under a project titled Support to Information and Communication Technology (SICT). The Planning Ministry and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide all necessary support to speedy implementation of the project, court officials said. The existing website of the Supreme Court - www.supremecourt.gov.bd - will be updated under the SICT project. Base Limited, a software developer, has been assigned to modernise the website.
As per the agreement, the Base Limited would complete the website within four months, of which one month had already passed. The Base Limited has been working in full swing to provide the website to the authorities within the stipulated time, the Base sources said. A high official told The Independent on condition of anonymity that 'five digital boards' would be displayed at five important points in the Supreme Court complex and a total of 50 LCD monitors would also be displayed in front of different benches of the HC.
The digital display boards and the LCD monitors would be implemented by ADB, sources said adding that for this the ADB requested the Supreme Court authorities to give detailed information to the Bank immediately. "After getting sufficient information on the proposed plan to digitise the SC, the ADB will start working to implement the project. It will take some time to implement the plan as ADB will have to invite tender for it first, sources said. According to ADB sources, the donor agency would spend around Tk 1 crore for implementing the project. With the digitised system in place, everyone can see the activities of both the Divisions of the Supreme Court anytime and anyone will be able to see his/her case status on the boards, sources added.
The daily cause list of both the Divisions of the SC, its history, organogram, features of the web-based application, court case management, case data, the history of cases, outcome of cases, daily orders, judgements and rules of both the Divisions, records and other documents of each of the cases would be found on the updated website, sources said. A record of the involvement of defendants, plaintiffs' lawyers, judges, paralegals and that of other works would be found under the data of the updated website, it was learnt.
Management of the court calendars, schedule of hearings and management of other events would be included in the Time Data of the updated website, sources said. "If the plan becomes successful, people of the country will be able to avail easy access to justice," a high official told this correspondent on condition of anonymity. There is no need to publish the daily cause list of the court as one can see his/her case status on the website. "In the existing manual system, it needs a huge manpower, a lot of time and money to perform the necessary jobs of the court.
The digital system will save both time and money," he added. As per the Article 27 of the Constitution, all citizens are equal before the eye of law and are entitled to equal protection of law, he said. However, almost 40% of the population of Bangladesh, who live below the poverty line, cannot afford to reach the door of the court of law. As a result, they silently endure the agonies of injustice done to them without any legal relief and are deprived of the fundamental rights of equal treatment as guaranteed in the Constitution of Bangladesh, he added.
The Legal and Judicial Capacity Building (LJCB) project has already completed its work, and some projects are underway with the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB), CIDA, DANIDA and other development partners, sources said. These projects would assist in facilitating access to justice by all, especially the poor, and it would help enhance good governance and the judicial capacity would also be increased with the programme in place, sources said.
