DHAKA, Sept 6, 2019 (BSS) – The present government, as part of its vision to establish ‘Digital Bangladesh’, is moving ahead with a plan to apply information and communication technology (ICT) in the judicial system to improve further the legal services for the citizens.
“The ministry has undertaken an e-judiciary project involving Taka 2,690 crore to introduce digital system in judiciary, automate administrative system and trial process, establish e-courts and increase ICT knowledge and efficiency of the judges, lawyers and officials concerned,” Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq told BSS.
The law minister said the plan was approved by the project evaluation committee (PEC) on November 14, 2018 and is now waiting for the final nod of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
Anisul expressed his ministry’s firm stand to digitize the country’s judicial system to serve people in a better way as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently instructed the officials concerned to set up virtual facilities in all the prisons across the country to stop the movement of prisoners from jail to court.
“The virtual system would allow the judge to conduct court procedures through video conferencing, keeping the prisoners in jail,” Planning Minister M A Mannan quoted the premier as saying.
She gave the instruction while chairing a meeting of the ECNEC on September 3 held at NEC Conference Room in city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
According to the law ministry sources, the main activities of the e-judiciary project include developing enterprise architecture for judicial service, developing enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, recording testimonies through video conferencing and recording digital evidences, establish virtual private network (VPN) for all the offices under judiciary, upgradation of data-center of Law and Justice Division and to establish network operation center.
“Under the project, data center of Bangladesh Supreme Court would be upgraded and network operation center would be established,” Law Ministry Spokesperson Dr Md Rezaul Karim told BSS.
“A total of 1,400 courtrooms across the country would be turned into e-courtrooms. Micro data centers will be established in 63 districts except Dhaka and interconnection will be established between data centers of Law and Justice Division and the Supreme Court,” he added.
The law ministry official further said, a total of 2000 tabs and laptops would be provided to judges, record rooms of the courts would be automated, case records and verdicts will be preserved through digital method, biometric attendance system will be established, proposal would be made to formulate new acts and amend the existing ones to establish e-court room system under the project.
A total of 170 people would be appointed while officials and staff related to judiciary would be given necessary training to implement the project.