Hearings in the Supreme Court have fallen sharply under the virtual court system compared to physical proceedings, according to an analysis of recent court data.
On Tuesday, 21 April, 2,677 cases were heard across both divisions of the Supreme Court through physical presence.
On the first day of virtual hearings, 22 April, only 707 cases were heard. The difference stands at nearly 2,000 cases, marking a decline of over 73 percent.
The figures show that hearings dropped by around 74 percent within a single day when compared to physical court proceedings.
Observers warn that if this trend continues, Bangladesh’s backlog of more than 4.7 million pending cases could soon exceed five million, increasing pressure on litigants and prolonging justice delivery. Lawyers also fear that case prioritisation may be affected under the virtual system.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Syed Mamun Mahbub told TIMES of Bangladesh “Physical hearings result in higher disposal of cases. He said virtual courts were introduced during the Covid-19 emergency, but the current situation does not justify continued reliance on them.”
He added “Virtual proceedings may increase harassment of litigants and will not reduce case backlog.”
According to court sources, on 21 April, the Appellate Division bench heard 41 cases through physical presence. The Chamber Court heard 66 cases on the same day. The High Court Division heard 2,566 cases.
On 22 April, under the virtual system, the Appellate Division, including the Chamber Court, heard 95 cases and disposed of 21. The High Court Division heard 612 cases and disposed of 156. In total, 707 cases were heard and 177 were disposed of across both divisions.
Lawyer Muhammad Yasin told TIMES “Virtual hearings are not suitable considering delays and harassment faced by litigants.”
“The system was appropriate only during the pandemic when court filings were lower” he added.
Lawyer Khademul Islam said “Physical hearings allow immediate correction of procedural errors, while virtual courts do not.”
“Even a minor wording mistake can delay hearings in the virtual system” he added.
The Supreme Court administration on 20 April announced that hearings will be held virtually every Wednesday and Thursday until further notice. The first virtual hearing was held on 22 April.
Lawyers have been holding protests for the past three days against the virtual court system.
