Friendship arranged a Legal Aid Fair to observe Legal Aid Day in Dhaka
by Friendship News Desk,
April 29, 2024
Social purpose organisation, Friendship has years of experience in protecting the legal rights of the disadvantaged, especially in the remote, riverine island communities of Bangladesh. On Sunday, April 28, on the occasion of National Legal Aid Day, a legal aid fair was held at Rabindra Sarobar in the Dhanmondi area of the capital, Dhaka showcasing Friendship’s initiatives. Throughout the day, legal advice and services were provided at Friendship stalls by the organisation’s legal experts and paralegal teams.
Barrister Ayesha Taasin Khan, director of the Inclusive Citizenship Sector of Friendship, stated that Friendship is actively working to protect the rights of disadvantaged people in remote areas. Since the initiation of programs in six chars of Gaibandha in 2012, 82 chars of the Jamuna-Brahmaputra river basin are covered under its umbrella, with a legal booth managed by a paralegal on each char. Residents of the chars come to these booths to resolve issues such as child marriage prevention, family disputes, social conflicts, and other legal disputes. Additionally, residents of Gaibandha and Kurigram districts receive a significant portion of legal services from Friendship’s online legal service centres and court-centric legal services. Consequently, district Legal Aid Committee members have also benefited from Friendship, leading to collaborative work with the Supreme Court Legal Aid Office and National Legal Aid Services.
At the legal aid fair, various aspects of legal services for people in remote char areas were showcased. These included discussions on women and elderly rights, awareness sessions for adolescents on the consequences of child marriage, and civic responsibilities. Present at the event were Ahmed Toufiqur Rahman, deputy director of the IC sector of Friendship, and team leader Rifat Jannat Jahan.
Earlier in the morning, a national seminar was organised at Osmani Smriti Milonayoton in observance of the day. Speaking as the chief guest at the event was Anisul Haque, minister of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs. Also present were Golam Sarwar, Secretary of the relevant ministry, and representatives from various governmental and non-governmental organisations, including Mohammad Al Mamun, Director of the National Legal Aid Services Organisation (NLASO).
