The rapid literature review identifies literature on types of grievance redress mechanisms (GRM) in Bangladesh. Many current and proposed grievance redress mechanisms in Bangladesh have a number of similar features including:
- An assigned focal point or grievance redress officer who manage the grievance redress mechanism. There are different focal points for different levels to which people can appeal if they are unhappy with the decision made at their level.
- The provision and process of the grievance redress mechanism is well publicised.
- A complaints form for which a receipt is given.
- Information about the complaint and its resolution is documented, often in a management information system (MIS). This information is generally supposed to be available to all.
- A committee based hearing process, which is often open. A resolution is generally sought using the applicable guidelines.
- If the aggrieved person is female, they will be assisted in hearings by a female Union Parishad member, and if from a tribal community, by a tribal representative.
- Complaints should be dealt with within a specific timeframe, generally around two weeks.
- The grievance redress mechanism does not pre-empt a person’s right to seek redress in the courts of law.
Generally, complaints are to be written complaints but some mechanisms are expanding to include verbal complaints to call centres, SMS, and email.
BRAC’s grievance redress mechanism takes into account that many people have limited literacy and provides customer service assistants in many of its centres to help people fill in the formal complaints forms.
An innovative grievance redress approach comes from the Union Information & Service Centres (UISC) blog, which connects government officials with the public.
Christian Aid’s grievance redress mechanism distinguishes between non-sensitive and sensitive complaints, indicating that sometimes sensitive complaints concerning abuse will need to be dealt with by local laws.
