The trial process at Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Offences Tribunal, Dhaka has remained largely stalled for the past four months as the court continues to operate without a permanent judge.
Around 1,100 cases are currently pending with the specialised tribunal, but only two cases have been disposed of with verdicts over the last four months, leaving victims and their families facing prolonged delays in getting justice.
The post of tribunal judge became vacant after the previous judge was transferred to the Law Ministry on 9 March.
Since then, no permanent replacement has been appointed, causing repeated adjournments and slowing down hearings and case disposal.
Court sources said many cases are being assigned new hearing dates repeatedly, further increasing the difficulties faced by justice seekers.
At present, the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge is overseeing the tribunal’s proceedings as an additional responsibility.
However, due to the workload of his own court, regular proceedings at the specialised tribunal have been affected.
As a result, cases involving serious offences such as human trafficking and migrant smuggling are progressing at a slow pace, while the backlog continues to grow.
Public Prosecutor (PP) of the tribunal, Advocate Md Mustafa Kamal Khan, said a judge from the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge’s Court has been conducting the tribunal’s activities on an additional charge for the past four months.
“I have contacted the Law Ministry several times regarding the appointment of a permanent judge. They have informed me that a judge will be appointed soon,” he said.
Mustafa Kamal Khan said hearings of the tribunal’s cases are currently being conducted at the district judge’s court. Since that court also handles a large number of regular cases, proceedings of human trafficking cases have slowed down.
“Despite the pressure of regular cases, the district and sessions judge is trying to conduct the tribunal’s proceedings after completing his own court responsibilities,” he added.
According to court sources, nearly 4,000 cases related to human trafficking and migrant smuggling are pending across specialised tribunals in Bangladesh, with around 1,100 cases pending before the Dhaka tribunal alone.
Dhaka Metropolitan Court Public Prosecutor Umar Faruk Faruqi said the tribunal is an important specialised court and previously had a permanent judge. The position became vacant following the judge’s promotion.
“The cases are currently being handled by another court. The appointment of a new judge may require further formalities, including a decision from the High Court. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved soon,” he said, adding that the current difficulties are temporary.
