Special initiative by SC to reduce backlog of old pending cases

At present, a total of 4,516,603 cases are pending across all courts in Bangladesh. Almost all of these cases were filed between 1990 and June 2025. Among them, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court (SC) alone has 589,751 pending cases.

In this situation, the Supreme Court has taken a special initiative to resolve nearly 11,000 cases filed before the year 2000 that are still pending in the High Court Division. Hearings on these cases will begin from 24 August in regular High Court benches, and the process will continue even during the Supreme Court’s vacation period. Supreme Court sources confirmed the matter.

As of 30 June 2025, the number of pending cases in the Appellate Division, High Court Division, and all subordinate courts stands at 4,516,703. Of these, the highest number is pending in the High Court Division—589,751 cases in total, which include 98,722 civil cases, 354,981 criminal cases, 115,212 writ petitions, and 20,839 miscellaneous cases.

Over the past year, the government has taken several steps to reform the judiciary—appointing a large number of judges, issuing over a hundred ordinances, and recruiting nearly 3,500 law officers for the Supreme Court and judicial courts. Additionally, four new benches, including one for death references, have been set up in the High Court. Yet, instead of decreasing, the number of pending cases has risen by about 200,000 in this period.

Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court has moved to swiftly resolve about 11,000 cases pending for over two decades in the High Court. The selection process for these cases was completed on 1 August, according to court sources. Among them are 5,103 criminal cases, 3,622 civil cases, and the rest include writs and other matters. This initiative follows the directive of Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refat Ahmed, issued on 10 July.

Supreme Court Registrar General Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan said “Thousands of cases filed before 2000 are still pending in the High Court Division, disrupting the regular functioning of the court. In line with the directive of Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refat Ahmed, we have selected several thousand such cases for quick disposal. These will be conclusively resolved between September and November this year.”

Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman said “Case backlog is a major obstacle for the judiciary. Though several initiatives have been taken over the years, success has been limited. However, the judiciary is now giving special attention to this matter. As part of this, nearly 11,000 pre-2000 cases are being disposed of quickly, and the number will gradually be increased. The Chief Justice has given clear directives in this regard.”

Supreme Court Bar Association Secretary Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal said “The initiative to quickly resolve pre-2000 pending cases in the High Court is certainly commendable. But to truly reduce case backlog, the number of judges and benches in the High Court must be increased to dispose of at least one to two lakh cases promptly. Only then will litigants’ suffering be eased and the High Court relieved of its heavy burden of backlog.”