Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Criminal Justice System of Bangladesh: A Study on Rajshahi City

The concept of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is gaining popularity due to its simplicity and ability to resolve cases quickly while being more sympathetic to the parties involved. Although ADR has been widely implemented in civil litigation, its application in criminal disputes is more complex due to the difficulty of labelling a crime as a dispute. Despite this, many countries, including Bangladesh, have adopted ADR methods in their criminal justice systems. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness and functionality of the ADR system in criminal cases in Bangladesh. The research seeks to address whether the introduction of ADR in all types of criminal litigation will ensure justice or whether there are concerns that need to be addressed regarding its use. Additionally, the study aims to determine the willingness of litigants to use ADR in criminal cases. The primary objective of this research article is to assess the efficacy of ADR in criminal cases in Bangladesh and identify essential aspects that need to be considered when introducing this tool in the criminal court system.