Cabinet approves draft law enabling village courts to fine Tk3 lakh
The Cabinet today gave final approval to the draft of 'Village Court (amendment) Act, 2024' enhancing the authority of village courts to fine Tk3 lakh, raising the amount from existing Tk75,000.
The approval came from the weekly cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister's Office.
Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain briefed reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat this afternoon.
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Mentioning that the government gave the final approval to the draft act last year, Mahbub Hossain said there is an obligation to take approval from the new cabinet as it was not tabled in the last parliament.
He said the government is set to enhance the authority of village courts, enabling them to raise fines from Tk75,000 to Tk3 lakh.
He said a village court comprises five members, including the union parishad chairman. In some cases, the court cannot function if any member remains absent. In this situation, the absent member would get seven days to be present in the meeting. If the member cannot be present, then the chairman has the power to give one additional vote, he said.
The cabinet secretary said complication is being created if the person representing one party of a case dies.
From now on, successor of the deceased can be the party in the case concerned, he said.
