The hassle of finding a hearing date

Lawyer Hasan Mahmud attended a hearing in a cheque dishonour case at Dhaka’s Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court 8 on June 15.

After the hearing, the next date was neither announced in court nor available online. A few days later, he found in the court’s manual cause list that the next hearing had been fixed for August 2.

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Until then, he had to make several trips to court just to confirm the date.

“If the hearing date had been available online, I wouldn’t have had to travel to the court repeatedly just to check the schedule. It would have saved me time and effort,” he told The Daily Star.

For lawyers and litigants like Hasan, the lack of updated online cause lists means repeated court visits simply to learn hearing dates.

To address this, the Supreme Court on October 7 last year directed subordinate courts in all 64 districts to ensure a 100 percent e-cause list system to reduce the sufferings of litigants and lawyers.

Yet, 10 months later, the directive remains largely unimplemented.

On July 16, The Daily Star reviewed e-cause list records of 180 courts -- at least two per district -- and found that only 40.6 percent maintained updated lists.

Another 32.8 percent did so partially, while 26.6 percent had no e-cause list at all.

As of January 31, around 40.78 lakh cases were pending with the courts.

Law ministry officials said the system allows people to check case numbers, hearing dates, orders and case statuses through the judiciary’s e-cause list website or the Amar Adalat mobile app.

Court administration officials said bench assistants are responsible for maintaining the digital lists. However, a dozen bench assistants interviewed by The Daily Star cited a lack of training, manpower and logistical support.

A bench assistant at a Dhaka court said he did not have a computer to update the system. “How can we do it without logistical support?” he said.

Another bench assistant at a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court said they were already stretched thin managing court proceedings and paperwork, leaving little capacity to maintain a digital cause list.

The problem is particularly evident at Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) Court, where 48 courts operate, and thousands of lawyers and court users gather every working day.

Officials said an e-cause list system functioned there in 2024, but most courts are no longer using it.

Ubaidul Karim Akhand, administrative officer of the CMM Court, confirmed that the system was no longer being maintained but declined to elaborate.

Mazharul Haque, special officer of High Court Division and an additional district judge, said practical challenges, including manpower, logistics and training, had affected regular updates.

He said district courts were working to overcome the constraints and that the Supreme Court remained committed to strengthening the system and ensuring consistent access to online cause lists.

Bar leaders said prompt implementation would save litigants’ time and money and reduce unnecessary crowds at court premises.

Dhaka Bar Association General Secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Khan said the system should be introduced without delay. “If there is a manpower crisis, the authorities should take steps to address it.”

Justice seeker Imran Hossain, complainant in a fraud case, said he still had to call his lawyers or visit court to learn hearing dates and orders.

For lawyer Hasan, however, the consequences went beyond inconvenience.

In a separate money suit before a Joint District Judge’s Court-1 in Dhaka, he attended a hearing on May 7 but could not find the next date online or in the manual register despite visiting the courtroom for several days. The court then remained closed from June 1 to June 15.

When he returned after the closure, he found that the plaintiff’s arguments had already been completed on June 18 in his absence.

“Had the entire case management process been digitalised, it would prevent such incidents,” he said.