Due to shortages of both court buildings and judges, litigants at the Lalmonirhat Chief Judicial Magistrate Court are facing growing hardships. Hearings and case disposals are being delayed, leading to an increasing backlog. Many litigants are forced to return home repeatedly with new dates instead of progress.
According to court sources, up to June 2026, Lalmonirhat district courts registered 31,649 criminal and civil cases. Of these, 11,547 cases belong to the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, which has nine courtrooms. Out of nine judge positions, six are currently vacant. The published judge list shows one Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate and two Senior Judicial Magistrates, while three Judicial Magistrate positions remain unfilled. This shortage of six judges has caused prolonged delays in the judicial process, intensifying public suffering.
Nur Hossain, a litigant from Chandrapur Union in Kaliganj, said he travels 40 kilometers for hearings in a land dispute case. Because of the lack of judges, hearings are not held, and his case remains unresolved. He spends both time and money only to return home with another date.
Adam Ali, a litigant from Burimari Union in Patgram, said the distance from Burimari to Lalmonirhat court is 95 kilometers. He must catch an early morning train to arrive on time. If hearings are not held on the scheduled date, he has to wait several more months.
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Advocate Hafizur Rahman, a member of the Lalmonirhat Bar, said that although the judiciary was separated in 2007, the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Lalmonirhat still lacks a dedicated building. Judges struggle to conduct proceedings in small rooms. Lawyers have no proper seating, assistants cannot enter, and defendants from different cases are kept together in the same courtroom. When defendants are too many, they must wait outside to give attendance. There is no safe space for women.
Lawyer Soikat Ahmed added that alongside the judge shortage, the absence of a modern, separate building for the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court is affecting judicial activities.
Advocate Rafiqul Islam, General Secretary of the Lalmonirhat District Lawyers’ Association, said that constructing a proper court building and appointing additional judges would allow cases to be resolved more quickly.
Meanwhile, the Lalmonirhat judiciary’s website recently mentioned judge transfers and postings in various courts. However, lawyers believe that unless vacant positions are filled promptly, the situation will not improve significantly.
Amirul Hayat Mukul, President of Citizens for Good Governance (SUJAN) in Lalmonirhat, said that to reduce litigants’ suffering, vacant judge positions must be filled quickly, a separate modern building for the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court must be constructed, and judicial infrastructure improved. Otherwise, case backlogs and delays will become more severe.