Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul inaugurated the National Legal Aid Fair and road show on Monday.
The Bangladesh National Legal Aid Services Organization (BNLASO) organized the fair and road show with technical support from the German development agency GIZ, marking National Legal Aid Day 2025.
The fair was organized to provide legal aid services and build awareness about legal aid and related activities among people.
Addressing the inaugural function at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium, the law adviser said legal aid is a very important and special method to resolve disputes.
“We are dreaming large about legal aid and thinking differently to take forward the process. We have held meetings with legal aid offices and judicial officers to take this sector forward,” he said.
He said about 500,000 lawsuits are filed in the country every year, out of which about 35,000 cases are resolved under the legal aid process.
If legal aid can be provided in 200,000 cases, the burden of cases in the judicial courts will be reduced by about 40%, he said, adding that it will also lessen human suffering significantly.
Senior Judicial Magistrate and Assistant Director (Monitoring) of the National Legal Aid Organization Arifa Chowdhury Himel moderated the function.
Law Secretary Sheikh Abu Taher, German Ambassador to Bangladesh Achim Tröster, Registrar General of the Supreme Court Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan, Director of BNLASO Syed Azad Subhani, Director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust Barrister Sara Hossain, judges engaged in judicial work across the country, diplomats, and senior officials were present.
Later, the founder and secretary of Madaripur Legal Aid Association Advocate Fazlul Huq was honoured, while Advocate Pallabi Roy received the Best Legal Aid Panel Lawyer Award 2024, and Jhenaidah District Legal Aid Officer Md Bulbul Ahmed received the Best Legal Aid Officer Award 2024.
Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, GIZ Bangladesh, Proshika, Brac, Friendship, Bondhu Social Welfare, RDRS Bangladesh, and Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association joined the fair.
