Govt plans special courts for expatriates

The government intends to establish specialised courts to expedite the resolution of property disputes and other legal difficulties faced by expatriate Bangladeshis, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman announced on Tuesday.

Speaking at an event in Dhaka on 13 October to mark the 30th anniversary of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), Mr Asaduzzaman said the initiative would initially concentrate on divisional headquarters. The proposed courts are expected to furnish expatriates with a more efficient mechanism for settling disputes that might otherwise remain unresolved for years. Furthermore, the minister observed that, although Bangladesh already has specialised labour courts and legislation designed to safeguard workers’ rights, no comparable judicial forum exists to address the particular legal predicaments of expatriates.

He explained that many overseas Bangladeshis encounter disputes after remitting money to their families, particularly when attempting to recover those funds or resolve disagreements over property. Consequently, they are often compelled to pursue protracted litigation, incurring substantial legal costs and forfeiting valuable time. Dedicated courts, he argued, would therefore help alleviate these hardships by ensuring more timely adjudication.

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Mr Asaduzzaman further confirmed that preliminary steps had been taken to advance the proposal, and he expressed hope that implementation could commence in the near future. Moreover, the initiative is intended to render the justice system more accessible to citizens living abroad, whose financial contributions are vital to the national economy but who may face formidable obstacles when seeking legal redress at home. However, no timeline for establishing the courts has yet been specified.