Cabinet okays civil courts’ financial jurisdiction amendment

The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of “the Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2021” aiming to raise the financial jurisdiction of the Judges of the lower court for disposal of civil cases.

The approval came at the weekly cabinet meeting held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.  She joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam briefed the reporters emerging from the meeting. He said financial jurisdictions of the civil courts were increased as per the amendment.

He said the higher threshold of the pecuniary jurisdiction was increased at Taka 15 lakh instead of the existing Taka 2 lakh for an assistant judge while Taka 25 lakh in place of Taka 4 lakh for a senior assistant judge in case of trying civil suits, according to the proposed law.

In case of hearing the appeals of the civil suits, the financial jurisdiction was raised at Taka 5 crore instead of the existing Taka 5 lakh for a district judge, said the Cabinet Secretary.

If the proposed law is passed, an assistant judge can try civil cases having asset value of maximum Taka 15 lakh each while a senior assistant judge can try a civil suit having asset value of maximum Taka 25 lakh.

Besides, a provision was incorporated in the proposed law to transfer the appeals which are pending with the High Court against the decree or order made by joint district judges in the civil suits involving maximum Taka 5 crore to the district judge court.

The Cabinet also approved in principle a bill to establish Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University in Pirojpur district.

“The proposed varsity will be a prototype one of the existing science and technology universities. The President would be the chancellor of the university,” said Khandker Anwarul Islam.

Moreover, the Cabinet ratified the Preferential Trade Agreement signed between Bangladesh and Bhutan on December 6 last to boost bilateral trade between the two countries.