Child Violence Suppression Tribunal in Chittagong Faces Challenges with Limited Resources

The Child Violence Suppression Tribunal in Chittagong is operating under significant constraints, with two judges sharing a single courtroom and no dedicated public prosecutor. Cases are managed by prosecutors from other courts on a supplementary basis. Currently, the tribunal has 1,092 pending cases, and only one case has been resolved in the last four and a half months. The tribunal was established to expedite the resolution of child sexual abuse cases, with two separate tribunals formed in January for the city's 16 police stations and the district's 17 stations. However, the lack of resources, including a dedicated courtroom and prosecutor, is severely hindering its efficiency. Legal professionals argue that the tribunal needs more resources and improved witness management to effectively address the backlog.

The operational challenges faced by the Child Violence Suppression Tribunal in Chittagong highlight systemic issues in the justice system that impede the timely resolution of critical cases involving child abuse.