Tk 2,690cr e-judiciary project on cards

The government, as part of its vision to establish a “Digital Bangladesh”, is moving ahead with a plan to apply information and communication technology (ICT) in the judicial system to improve further the legal services.

“The ministry has undertaken an e-judiciary project involving Tk 2,690 crore to introduce digital system in judiciary, automate administrative system and trial process, establish e-courts and increase ICT knowledge and efficiency of the judges, lawyers and officials concerned,” Law Minister Anisul Huq told the news agency yesterday.

He said the plan was approved by the project evaluation committee (PEC) on November 14, 2018. It is now waiting for final nod of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

Anisul expressed his ministry’s firm stand to digitise the country’s judicial system to serve people in a better way as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has recently instructed the officials concerned to set up virtual facilities in all prisons across the country to stop movement of prisoners from jail to court.

“The virtual system would allow a judge to conduct court procedures through video conferencing, keeping the prisoners in jail,” Planning Minister MA Mannan earlier quoted the prime minister as saying.

She gave the instruction while chairing a meeting of the Ecnec on September 3, held at NEC conference room in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

According to the law ministry sources, main activities of the e-judiciary project include developing enterprise architecture for judicial services; developing enterprise resource planning (ERP) software; recording testimonies through videoconferencing and recording digital evidence; establishing virtual private network (VPN) for all the offices under judiciary; upgradation of data-centre of Law and Justice Division, and establishing a network operation centre.

“Under the project, data centre of the Supreme Court would be upgraded and a network operation centre would be established,” said law ministry spokesperson Dr Md Rezaul Karim.

“A total of 1,400 courtrooms across the country would be turned into e-courtrooms. Micro data centres will be established in 63 districts except Dhaka and an interconnection will be established between the data centres of Law and Justice Division and the Supreme Court,” he added.

The law ministry official further said 2,000 tabs and laptops will be provided to judges, court record rooms will be automated, case records and verdicts will be preserved digitally, and a biometric attendance system will be established.

Also, a proposal will be placed to formulate new acts and amend the existing ones to establish the e-court room system under the project, he added.

To implement the project, 170 people will be appointed while officials and staff related to the judiciary will be given necessary training, added the official.