Dhaka: A total of 1,41,751 cases involving insolvent litigants have been resolved under the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) initiative undertaken by the National Legal Aid Services Organisation (NLASO). This information was revealed in a report published on the website of the National Legal Aid Services Organisation recently.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the report provides detailed information on legal assistance provided by the organisation from 2009 to February 2025. The legal aid service, initially launched by the National Legal Aid Services Organisation at the district level, was designed to assist insolvent people and later expanded to the Supreme Court, Workers' Legal Aid Cell in Dhaka and Chattogram, and prisons across the country.
The process of resolving disputes in the shortest possible time beyond the prescribed court process is called Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). It is a comprehensive and multilateral review of dispute resolution in which both parties benefit. The report said initiatives were taken for ADR of 1,55,795 cases. Out of those, 1,41,751 cases were settled, benefiting 2,73,283 people in the process.
From 2009 to February 2025, a total of 11,82,767 beneficiaries received legal aid at government expense under the National Legal Aid Services Organization. This service is provided at the 64 District Legal Aid offices of the country, the Supreme Court Legal Aid Office, the Dhaka and Chattogram Workers' Legal Aid Cells, and the Government Legal Aid National Helpline Call Center (toll-free-'16430').
Of the beneficiaries, 28,761 people received assistance through the Supreme Court Legal Aid Office, 9,39,831 people through the 64 district legal aid offices, 29,117 people through the Dhaka and Chittagong Workers' Legal Aid Cells, and 1,85,058 people through the National Helpline Call Center (toll-free-'16430'). This service has been provided at government expense under the 'Legal Aid Act' with the aim of providing legal aid to financially indigent and incompetent litigants seeking justice in the country.
The activities of the National Legal Aid Organization are carried out under the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.