Dhaka:Young innovators from across Bangladesh showcased their technological solutions to improve access to justice at the Legal-Tech Hackathon 2026 Digital Legal Aid for Future, which concluded on Sunday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the two-day event in Dhaka brought together students from various fields such as law, computer science, and business to develop digital solutions addressing challenges in accessing legal aid. The hackathon was part of the Accelerating Digital Legal Aid Services in Bangladesh (ADLASB) project, supported by the European Union and implemented by the Directorate of Bangladesh Legal Aid (DBLA) under the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, with technical assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The competition saw participation from around 1,250 students, with nearly 250 teams contributing ideas across six thematic areas, including digital case management and AI-supported call-centre services. Finalist teams presented their solutions to a multidisciplinary jury after an initial selection process and mentoring.
Md Monjurul Hossain, Director General of DBLA, emphasized the importance of making digital justice accessible, stating that technology should simplify and speed up access to justice. Anowarul Haque from UNDP highlighted the role of young people in shaping Bangladesh's future through innovation and empathy.
The University of Dhaka's Res Judicata Digitalis won first place, with CoU JusticeLab from Comilla University and Law Debuggers as runners-up. The hackathon highlighted the potential of youth-led innovation in enhancing the responsiveness and accessibility of legal aid services.