Article

E-Family Court

Sadat Alam ProtikNovember 24, 20244 min read

e-Family CourtDigital JudiciaryDigital Courte-GovernanceDigital BangladeshJudicial InnovationLegal TechnologyCourt AutomationSmart JusticePaperless CourtCivic TechnologyPublic Service InnovationGovernment–University CollaborationTechnology for GoodStudent InnovationUniversity-Led InnovationSoftware DevelopmentCase Management SystemDigital TransformationFuture of Justice

During one of our semesters, my best friend Jubair Amin Siyum approached me one day and asked,

“I’ve got some work—are you in?”

Curious, I asked, “What kind of work?”

He replied, “It’s a government project—an e-Family Court system, something like an online court management platform. The project will be developed through our university. Our Head Sir and Chairman Sir are directly involved, and the student team will be led by Zion Sir.”

Without hesitation, I said, “If you’re doing it, I’m in too.”

Looking back, that decision turned out to be one of the proudest moments of my academic journey.

Soon after, Siyum and I officially joined the project, along with our friend Emon from another section. What began as a small student initiative gradually evolved into a larger team. Over time, Jihan Bhai and Shafin Bhai joined us, whose experience and guidance added significant strength and direction to the project.

For many months, we worked tirelessly—through countless meetings, system design discussions, feature development, bug fixing, data handling, and security considerations. This was not just another software development project; it was the journey of building a nationally significant digital infrastructure for Bangladesh’s judicial system.

As a result of this collective effort, a new chapter was added to the history of Bangladesh’s judiciary with the launch of the country’s first e-Family Court.

The e-Family Court is a fully integrated Digital Court Management and Case Automation Solution that enables online case filing, digital documentation, and limited online hearings. Its goal is to make judicial services faster, more transparent, and more citizen-friendly, while also promoting a paperless and environmentally sustainable court system.

The pilot operation of the system began on November 5 at the Dhaka Family Court, and it is scheduled to start trial operations at the Chattogram Family Court from November 30. The official inauguration took place on November 24, 2024, at the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge Court.

The inauguration ceremony was graced by distinguished guests, including Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Faez Ahmed Taiyyeb, Special Assistant to the Honourable Chief Adviser (ICT); our respected Head Sir Professor Dr. Sheak Rashed Haider Noori; and our Honorable Chairman Sir Dr. Md. Sabur Khan.

This project stands as a strong example of a Government–University–Technology Industry collaboration, implemented without direct government funding. The system has already been successfully tested by approximately 250–300 officials from the Judiciary, the Ministry of Law, and the Supreme Court, demonstrating its effectiveness and readiness.

Being a part of Bangladesh’s first e-Family Court is a matter of immense pride for me. This project not only enhanced my technical skills but also taught me invaluable lessons in teamwork, responsibility, and the real-world impact of technology in solving national-level challenges.