This will also help establish good governance, they said.

Litigants are suffering a lot in absence of district and session judge's courts. Though judicial complexes have been built in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari hill towns, they are yet to start functioning.

The advocacy meeting titled "Initiatives of CHT people to set up district and session judge's courts in three hill districts", organised by Rangamati unit of Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust (BLAST), was held at the conference room of CHT Regional Council (CHTRC) on Thursday.

Former senior joint district judge Dipen Dewan presented the keynote paper on rules and laws of CHT. BLAST member Fanindra Lal Das chaired the function.

The discussants included CHTRC member Goutam Kumar Chakma, ex-deputy secretary Prakriti Ranjan Chakma, Rangamati Lawyers Association president Pratim Roy Pampu, Human Rights activist Tuku Talukder, journalist Sunil Kanti Dey and Rangamati BLAST Coordinator Jewel Dewan.

They said Speakers said thousand of thousand prisoners of CHT, who are under trial in different cases suffering a lot due to absence of district and session judge's courts.

They said around 25,000 cases are pending with Chittagong Divisional Judge's court for long as those were transferred there from magistracy courts in CHT. Thousands of litigants suffer for this, they added.

It is very difficult for poor people to go to Chittagong to appear before the Divisional Judge Court there. Trial is also delayed due to this.

Referring to the CHT Regulation (1of 1900), they said the executive judicial power vested with DCs in CHT.

The litigants suffer as DCs do not find adequate time for disposal of the cases.

The government amended the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation (1 of 1900) considering existing laws. The gazette notification was published on September 21 this year.

Regulation 8(1) says, "Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagracchari districts of CHT shall constitute three separate Session Divisions and the concerned district judge shall be the Sessions Judge of the respective session division and the joint district judge shall be the Assistant Sessions Judge".

Regulation 8(3) says the three hill districts shall have three separate civil jurisdiction under three district judges and 8(40) says the joint district judge shall try all civil cases in accordance with existing laws, customs and usages of concerned districts.

On February 2, last year, BLAST filed a writ petition (no-606) before higher court to explain in details within six weeks, which is now awaiting for hearing, BLAST sources said.