Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that after being freed from the fascist rule and exploitation of over one and a half decades, an accountable and responsible democratic government has been established in the country through the people’s direct votes. The people have regained their lost democratic rights.
He said, the demand of the time now is to ensure that no dictator or sycophant can ever seize the people’s rights and establish fascist rule in the country. With that goal in mind, the current government has taken appropriate steps to strengthen every constitutional institution in the country.
The PM said these things on Monday morning while inaugurating the e-bail bond system at the Bogura District and Sessions Judge’s Court. Present on the occasion were the Prime Minister’s consort Zubaida Rahman and Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman.
With this, the e-bail bond system has been launched in seven districts, including Bogura. On the occasion, the prime minister also inaugurated the newly constructed building of the Lawyers’ Association at the District and Sessions Judge’s Court.
He said, if the rule of justice is not established in the country through coordination among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, citizens will not benefit from their democratic rights. Establishing justice to ensure social balance, equality, and rights is a key element of a modern state system, which is essentially a fundamental aspect of establishing morality, law, and people’s due rights.
Tarique Rahman said that the proclaimer of independence, former president Ziaur Rahman, had opened the door to the independence of Bangladesh’s judiciary. He said, the role of judges is primary in establishing the rule of justice.
For this reason, he had opened the door to the independence of Bangladesh’s judiciary, which had been snatched away through the fourth amendment to the constitution. But during the fascist regime, the judiciary was turned into a party court.
Claiming that although the regime was run under the guise of law, there was no ‘justice’ in the country at that time, the Prime Minister said, in August 2024, the freedom-loving people of the country were freed from the rule of darkness. Therefore, the current government is now determined to establish the people’s right to receive justice by establishing the rule of justice in the country.
He said, “A court should not be a place of harassment but a safe haven for receiving justice. I believe that if this belief is firmly established in the public mind, ‘mob violence’ will also disappear from society. For this reason, the current government wants to establish the judiciary as a place of ‘justice and trust’.”
The BNP chairman said, the government wants to reduce public harassment in the judicial process by establishing a corruption-free, transparent, and independent justice system. To this end, as part of transforming the judicial, administrative, and adjudication processes into a completely electronic management system, the implementation of the ‘e-bail bond’ system has been continued to modernise the justice system.
If the e-bail bond system can be introduced in all courts across the country, it will be possible to establish justice by eliminating delays and discrimination in the people’s access to justice, he said.
He said, “The rule of law and justice are complementary to each other. In my view, the rule of law is not the end-all and be-all of the state; rather, establishing justice is the most important. This is why the current government wants to establish lawful justice in the state and society. To establish justice, impartial judges are necessary. I believe the e-bail bond system in the bail process is a significant step on the path to establishing justice for those seeking justice.”
The prime minister said that through the “electronic bail bond” or e-bail bond system, the bail bond reaches the concerned person in a short time, thereby reducing the harassment of those seeking justice.
He said, previously, completing a bail bond involved at least 13 stages, from the court to the jail, including lawyers, clerks, magistrates, police, peons, and various other steps. With the introduction of the “e-bail bond” system, the bail bond now reaches the concerned person in a short time. For this reason, the current government has decided to bring all courts in the country under the e-bail bond system.
He further said, as part of this, the ‘e-bail bond’ system has been introduced in court proceedings from today in the districts of Bogura, Jhenaidah, Jashore, Magura, Rajshahi, Natore, and Kushtia. This will reduce harassment in the release of individuals granted bail. On the other hand, the scope for activities by opposition parties or intermediaries, or incidents of bail bond forgery, will also decrease.
He said, “Since a judge will verify the bail order and send it directly online to the prison administration, the prison administration will be able to release the concerned person as soon as they receive the bail order.”
Consequently, the e-bail bond or electronic bail bond system will put an end to unnecessary harassment and suffering of people in the judicial system.
He said, “The government also has plans to integrate the e-bail bond system with the police’s CDMS, the court’s case management system, and the National ID card verification.”
The current government will continue its initiative to modernise the entire judicial process by bringing it under a computerised system to reduce public suffering.
Tarique Rahman said, “The current government will carry out production warrants, release orders, and warrant recalls through an online platform in the judicial system. If this can be done, bail hearings will be made easier by quickly sending ‘supplementary documents’ online when an accused from one district is arrested in another district.”
He said, “We not only want technological development but also a change in mindset. We want to build a Bangladesh where there will be no difference between the Prime Minister or a minister, the police or an officer, and an ordinary citizen in the justice system. The judiciary will be completely independent and an unparalleled foundation for establishing justice.”
“I believe in ‘Access to Justice for All’. Justice is not a matter of mercy or compassion; it is the constitutional right of every citizen,’ he added.
The prime minister said, “Today’s digital initiative is a huge milestone on the path to establishing that right. I extend my sincere thanks to the Ministry of Law, the prison authorities, and all the IT experts and officers working behind this system.”
