Speakers at an advocacy meeting unanimously called for concerned efforts of all government and non-government organizations to provide greater access to justice to the poor, marginalized and socially excluded litigants.
They viewed infusing dynamism into the legal aid services could be an effective means of attaining the cherished goal. Only the judiciary or any other single organisation is not capable of ensuring legal aid to the underprivileged people but a comprehensive effort is essential in this regard.
The observations came at the meeting titled “Obstacle of Ensuring Legal Aid to Marginalized Population and What Can be done to overcome the barriers” at Coockey Jar Conference hall in Rajshahi yesterday.
Brotee Samaj Kalyan Sangstha (BSKS) under its ‘Protecting the Vulnerable through Community Legal Services’ project organised the meeting in association with Community Legal Services and UKaid.
With Prof Abdus Salam, President of Conscious Citizens Committee, in the chair, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education Development and ICT) Parvej Raihan, Associate Professor Dr Abdul Alim from Law Faculty of Rajshahi University, President of Advocate Bar Association Nazmus Sadaat, President of Shaw Unnayan Mustafizur Rahman Khan, Director (Advocacy) of BLAST Mahbuba Aktar and its local unit Coordinator Advocate Abdus Samad spoke on the occasion as resource persons.
During his concept paper presentation, Ashique Iqbal, Regional Coordinator and Legal Advocacy Officer of BSKS, gave an overview of his organization’s legal aid related activities while Training and Communication Coordinator Razendra Kumar Das moderated the discussion.
They told the meeting that the project is now working in two aspects including preventive measure and remedial measure. Under preventive measures, mainly legal advice and legal awareness is being provided and under remedial measure, mainly case referral and mediation at office level are being implemented.
The discussants opined there should be watchdogs to protect the vulnerable community stressing the need for taking up adequate measures to advocate vigorously the existing system of cost-free legal aid services among poor and distressed population to ensure justice for the underprivileged.
Ensuring social justice and development of living and livelihood conditions of ethnically minority communities in the country’s northwest region has become indispensable for their normal life.
They pointed out that various development organisations at present are implementing need-based projects in order to provide legal aid services to the poor and distressed litigants including the ethnic minorities free of cost apart from the government services.
Voluntary organization had been developed for providing legal service as it was an effective way for large-scale promotion of alternative dispute resolution for the poor and vulnerable.
They also came out with number of recommendations that may be helpful to establish a congenial management system for use of common resources.
