While the number of cases awaiting disposal at the courts was 1,17,295 in 2000, it shot up to 2,66,172 at the end of 2004, according to the statistics prepared by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Concerned over the growing backlog, the home and law ministries have decided to sit down and work out a mechanism to address the problem immediately.

"We need to work towards a solution to this problem as the number of backlogged cases is growing every year," State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar said yesterday.

In 2004, 1,18,921 cases were filed across the country while charge sheets in 85,685 cases were submitted. But the courts in that year disposed of only 44,157 cases.

About 31,000 cases build up every year, the minister said, coming out of a meeting of the home ministry's monitoring cell on sensational cases yesterday.

"The number of charge sheets submitted does not agree with the number of cases filed every year and the cases are not disposed of at the rate charge sheets are submitted," Babar said.

On the reasons for backlogging, he noted that delay is made in investigation and submission of charge sheets. "It takes a long time for a case to be settled as the number of courts is too small to deal with such volume of cases."

Although a subcommittee headed by the inspector general of police is monitoring the investigations of cases, the ministry feels the need to devise a way to remove the backlog.

DISSATISFACTORY PROBES
Dissatisfied with the investigation into Hazi Torab Ali murder in Tejgaon on May 26, Babar ordered for a show-cause notice to be issued against investigation officer (IO) Sub-Inspector Abdul Bari of Tejgaon Police Station.

The IO has arrested five people, who do not seem to be involved in the crime, said a meeting source.

The minister also directed the officials to transfer the case to Detective Branch for investigation.

Babar expressed dissatisfaction over investigation of the cases filed for the killings of Chittagong businessman S Azad and Mofizur.

The meeting noted that the investigation into the murder of Humayun Kabir Sabbir, director of Telecommunication and Networks, Bashundhara Group, too is not satisfactory.

The IO of the case filed for four murders at three places in Badda on February 8 told the meeting that charge sheet will be submitted in a week and trial will be held in Speedy Trial Tribunal.

The meeting discussed seven cases, though it was scheduled to discuss 14 sensational cases.