Bangladesh is a developing country in Southeast Asia, with a population of 160 million and 3.3 million litigations pending in the courts. Typically, a single case takes five to twenty years to reach a final verdict. Huge amounts of money, time, and energy are spent in the pursuit of a favorable outcome.

A modern system of dispute resolution through mediation does not yet exist in Bangladesh, although there are rules governing dispute resolution in civil cases and family matters. Litigants hope for a speedy trial to rid themselves of the agony of losing money and time in the traditional court system. For this reason, alternatives to litigation, such as mediation, are badly needed.

Creating stakeholder awareness, developing ADR legislation, and establishing private and court-annexed dispute resolution service centers are all goals for improving access to justice in Bangladesh.