Country is set to observe National Legal Aid Services Day for the seventh time today. This year, National Legal Aid Services Day would be observed with the theme “Sheikh Hasina’s contrition in Bangabandhu’s Sonar Bangla: Providing Legal Aid Free of Cost (Bangabandhu’s Sonar Banglay Sheikh Hasina’r Obodan:
Binamulle Legal Aid’a Aini Sebadan)”.
To make people aware of the legal aid services, the government from a cabinet meeting on January 29, 2013, declared April 28 as National Legal Aid Services Day.
Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formulated National Legal Aid Services Act in 2000 to provide legal aid at government’s cost to people unable to pay legal expenses and established National Legal Aid Services Organization (NLASO) in the same year to carry out government’s legal assistance activities.
“After coming to power again in 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina again took initiatives to expedite the implementation of National Legal Aid Services Act, 2000, which remained neglected during the tenure of BNP-Jamaat alliance government. Legal aid committees were formed in all 64 districts led by district and session judges. Apart from districts, legal aid committees are working in upazila and union level. We have legal aid committee at the apex court also,” Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said.
He further said any citizen, especially acid attack victims, widow or abandoned by husband, people languishing in jail without trial, differently able people, victims of human trafficking, or people who are unable to get justice, are being given legal assistance at government’s cost. The inaugural function of the day would be held at Hotel Intercontinental in the city at 10 am today. Legal aid fair and cultural activities will be held at Dhanmondi Rabindra Sarobar. BTRC has been requested to send SMS on legal aid to all the mobile subscribers in the country on that day as government info. Meanwhile, NLASO assistant director Qazi Yasin Habib said for the first time legal aid awards will be given to best Legal Aid Office, best panel lawyer and three private organizations working in this regard.
