Rights activists have called for an effective, accessible and inclusive national legal aid system to ensure equal access to justice for persons with disabilities, who continue to face systemic barriers in Bangladesh.
Marking National Legal Aid Day 2026, the Visually Impaired People’s Society (VIPS), supported by Christian Aid and Manusher Jonno Foundation, organized a discussion at the International Mother Language Institute in Segun Bagicha, Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon.
Speakers said that although access to justice is a fundamental human right, many persons with disabilities remain excluded from legal aid services due to social, economic and infrastructural barriers.
They noted that persons with disabilities are frequently victims of rights violations but are often unable to seek justice due to inaccessible court environments, high travel costs and a lack of information about available legal support.
“Despite provisions prioritizing women and persons with disabilities in legal aid services, many are still deprived due to poor implementation and infrastructural limitations,” speakers observed, urging full enforcement of the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2013.
At the grassroots level, they said many people remain unaware of state legal aid services. Physical inaccessibility of courts, absence of proper seating arrangements and lack of basic facilities such as drinking water further discourage participation in legal proceedings.
As a result, many victims abandon cases midway or opt for informal settlements due to the complexity of the legal process and the absence of disability-friendly systems.
Speakers stressed the need for awareness campaigns for persons with disabilities, alongside infrastructural improvements in district legal aid offices, police stations and courts.
They also called for digitizing legal aid services and introducing accessible formats such as Braille and audio support for visually impaired individuals.
“Training for judicial staff and legal aid providers on disability inclusion is essential. Involving lawyers with disabilities can significantly improve service delivery, as they bring lived experience to the process,” one speaker said.
Describing justice as a cornerstone of human rights, participants said a coordinated approach involving government, the private sector and civil society is needed to build an inclusive legal system.
The event was chaired by Advocate Md Musherraf Hossain Mazumder, president of the Visually Impaired People’s Society (VIPS).
Among others, Advocate Md Al Amin, general secretary of VIPS, and Md Saidul Huq, executive director of Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization (BERDO), also spoke.
Masoma Zaman, deputy secretary of the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division under the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, attended as chief guest, while Barrister Mohiuddin Hanif, assistant attorney general of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, was present as special guest.
Both guests assured participants of continued efforts to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities and improve access to justice.
