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Modern Law, Traditional ‘Shalish’ and Civil Society Activism in Bangladesh

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The Sociology of Shari’a: Case Studies from around the World

Part of the book series: Boundaries of Religious Freedom: Regulating Religion in Diverse Societies ((BOREFRRERE,volume 1))

Abstract

This chapter examines problems of legal pluralism in Bangladesh by focusing on shalish, the informal dispute resolution and mediation often involving women and their various alleged transgressions of moral conduct. It deals with the efforts of civil society organizations in Bangladesh in general, with specific focus on the Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a legal aid organization and an important member of the civil society organizations in Bangladesh, to flesh out confrontations between formal law and informal law, rationalization of public life, and the interface between state and civil society and between civil society and traditional rural society. This chapter also explores whether shalish, as an alternative dispute resolution, has a place in the judicial system of Bangladesh. The chapter deals with the challenges and promises of effective implementation of alternative dispute resolution, and problems of indigenization of the adjudication process in conformity with the ideals of a modern judicial system, i.e., neutrality, fairness and equality.

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Acknowledgment

I want to thank Ms Sharmin Akhter, Ms Nujhat Niaz and Ashiq Khondker for help in the research for this chapter.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Habibul Haque Khondker

Authors
  1. Habibul Haque Khondker
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Correspondence to Habibul Haque Khondker .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Religion and Society Research Centre, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Adam Possamai

  2. Grant Sawyer Center for Justice Studies, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA

    James T Richardson

  3. City University of New York The Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA

    Bryan S. Turner

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Khondker, H.H. (2015). Modern Law, Traditional ‘Shalish’ and Civil Society Activism in Bangladesh. In: Possamai, A., Richardson, J., Turner, B. (eds) The Sociology of Shari’a: Case Studies from around the World. Boundaries of Religious Freedom: Regulating Religion in Diverse Societies, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09605-6_3

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