AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE AND PROSPECT OF ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OF BANGLADESH: PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO JUSTICE

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is treated as a scheme to resolve dispute among the litigants in a rapid and easy way out of formal court proceedings. The lower criminal courts of Bangladesh are loaded with horrendous number of pending cases and such backlog of cases pose a great threat to both victim and offender and the state as well causing more afflictions in the field of criminal justice system. This study seeks to provide a comprehensive idea about the plea bargaining along with a brief analysis of the present practices of plea bargaining in different region and legal system over the globe. To this context this article aims to promote and implement the concept of ADR in criminal justice system of Bangladesh like other countries. However, the ADR mechanism in criminal matter is subject to criticism in many ways but there is no alternative for resolving disputes between the offender and victims. Finally, a few suggessions are made for the exhaustive success of ADR towards promotion of fruitful, speedy and leafy access to criminal justice for every citizen.