In solidarity with the 16 Days of Activism 2021, BRAC’s gender justice and diversity program organized a roundtable discussion on ‘Strengthening the public prosecution system to ensure justice for sexual and gender-based violence’ on December 8, 2021, with the support of BRAC’s social empowerment and legal protection (SELP).
The focus of the debate was on identifying best practices and viable solutions for overcoming significant flaws in the criminal justice system in order to provide justice in cases of violence against women and girls. As a result, key actors from all phases of the criminal justice system, including police officers, forensic doctors, public prosecutors, legal aid lawyers, and judges, as well as government and non-government service providers, development partners, and activists, were brought together.
The discussants at the event included: Md Golam Kibria, Director (Training), Judicial Administration and Training Institute (JATI); Anna Minj, Director, Integrated Development Programme; Advisor, SELP and Protection Cluster, HCMP, BRAC; Jenefa Jabbar, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh; Director, Social Compliance and Safeguarding, BRAC; Nobonita Chowdhury, Director, Gender Justice and Diversity, and Preventing Violence Against Women Initiative, BRAC; Dr Md Shahadat Hossain Mahmud, Director General (Additional Secretary), Health Economics Unit, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Md Habibur Rahman Chowdhury, Deputy Director (Finance), Joint District and Sessions Judge, National Legal Aid Services Organization, Law and Justice Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; Mohammad Tabarak Ullah, Additional Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, National Emergency Service, Bangladesh Police; Ali Asgor Swapon, Special Public Prosecutor, Nari O Shishu Nirjaton Domon Tribunal Tribunal, Dhaka; Reena Debnath, Special Public Prosecutor, Nari O Shishu Nirjaton Domon Tribunal Tribunal, Narsingdi; and Dr Sohel Mahmud, Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, Sir Salimullah Medical College. Family members of a rape survivor and acid violence survivor also spoke at the event, highlighting the challenges and hurdles they faced when seeking justice.
The panelists stressed the importance of a number of reforms, including the implementation of a victim and witness protection system, the incorporation of a virtual court system in Nari O Shishu Nirjaton Domon Tribunals, gender sensitization training for justice sector actors (such as judges and public prosecutors), and the establishment of a compensation scheme for survivors. The panelists also emphasized the importance of increasing budgetary allocation for the public prosecution system and survivor support services, such as by appointing additional judges and prosecutors and constructing One Stop Crisis Centers and refuge homes in each district. All of the participants agreed that it was critical to work together to reform the public prosecution system in order to secure justice for survivors of sexual and gender-based abuse.
