Bangladesh’s Daily Star reports today that at least 60 percent of cases in Bangladesh’s court system have problems with witness intimidation or fear according to public prosecutors in Dhaka. This is leading to the delay, abandonment or failure of criminal cases as well as a long backlog of unsolved crimes. Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said, “We want to formulate a law to ensure witness protection, and have already asked the ministry to examine everything relevant.”

It sounds like the Law Minister has the right idea. Without robust witness protection laws, it is unlikely that significant improvements to the successful prosecution of criminal offenders will occur.