Legal Aid

What is legal Aid?

Legal aid is a mechanism that enables the poor and the vulnerable sectors of the society to enforce their legal rights so that access to justice is ensured in the society.

According to the Legal Aid Services Act, 2000 Legal aid means the assistance in terms of legal advice, lawyers’ fees, litigation costs and other incidental expenses, provided to the economically disadvantaged populations including those who, for various socio-economic considerations, are unable to access justice.

‘Legal Aid’  means providing any or more of the following three issues-

   i) Providing monetary assistance.

   ii) Counselling on any legal issue.

  iii) Defending a person in a court of law.

Who is eligible to get legal aid?

1. Any insolvent as financially insolvent person ( Whose annual average income is below tk.50,000)

2. Any freedom fighter who is disabled or partially disabled, unemployed or unable ( Whose annual average income is below tk.75,000)

3.  Any individual receiving old age allowance

4. Any distressed mothers holding VGD (Vulnerable Group Development) card.

5. Women & Children Victims of trafficking .

6. Women and children victims of acid throwing by the miscreants .

7. Allottee of a house or land in a model village.

8. An insolvent widow, a woman abandoned by husband and a distressed woman .

9. A disabled person unable to earn and destitute.

10.  A person considered by the court as financial helpless as insolvent .

11. A person recommended or considered by the Jail Authority as financially helpless and insolvent.

How to apply for legal aid?

All applications for getting the legal aids must be submitted to the National Board of Legal Aid or in appropriate cases to the District Legal Aid Committee.

—  If an application is rejected by the District Committee and the person feels aggrieved by that decision, then the applicant may prefer an appeal to the National Legal Aid Board within 60 days of the pronouncement of the decision of the District Committee.