Legal Aid in Bangladesh: Who Qualifies and How to Apply (2026)

Legal aid Bangladesh: the 2026 framework after Act No. 45 of 2026

Legal aid Bangladesh law provides is broader in 2026 than at any point since Parliament passed the Legal Aid Services Act 2000. The state pays lawyers to advise and represent people who cannot afford them, funds mediators and incidental case costs, runs offices in every district and at the Supreme Court, and now operates a compulsory mediation gateway that sits in front of the courts for a defined list of family, property, tenancy, cheque and dowry disputes. For anyone facing a dispute without the means to pay for it, knowing who qualifies and where to apply is the difference between enforcing a right and abandoning it.

This guide explains the framework as amended by the Legal Aid Services (Amendment) Act 2026 (Act No. 45 of 2026): the new Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Directorate that is taking over from the National Legal Aid Services Organisation (NLASO), district legal aid offices and committees, eligibility, how to apply in person, online or by phone, mandatory pre-case mediation under section 21B and the disputes it covers, the Supreme Court legal aid office, and the non-governmental organisations, such as BLAST and Ain o Salish Kendra, that fill the gaps. It is written for applicants, their families, and the employers, NGOs and advisers who help them.

Summary: Government legal aid in Bangladesh is free advice, representation, mediation and case-cost support for people who cannot obtain justice for financial or socio-economic reasons. Applications go to the Supreme Court legal aid office or a regional, district or upazila legal aid office, in person or online, and a refusal can be appealed to the Director General within 60 days. In 30 districts, nine categories of dispute must now go to legal aid mediation before any case is filed.

Key point: Under section 21B of the Legal Aid Services Act 2000, inserted by the 2026 amending Act, a party to a scheduled dispute in a notified district must first apply to the legal aid office for mediation. A case may be filed only if mediation fails, and a mediation agreement certified by the Chief Legal Aid Officer is treated as a decree or final order of a court.

At a glance

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Table of Contents

What legal aid Bangladesh law guarantees

The Legal Aid Services Act 2000 (Act No. 6 of 2000), dated 26 January 2000, is the statutory foundation.[1] As rewritten in 2026, the Act defines legal aid as assistance to a litigant who is financially insolvent, destitute or otherwise unable to obtain justice for socio-economic reasons. That assistance includes legal advice and help in any case that may be filed, has been filed or is pending in any court; payment of the honorarium of a mediator appointed under the Code of Civil Procedure, another law or the Act itself; incidental case costs; legal information and advisory services; settlement of a dispute through pre-case mediation; and mediation of cases referred by a court or tribunal.[1]

Two features of that definition matter in practice. First, "litigant" covers a prospective or actual plaintiff, defendant, complainant or accused in civil, family, criminal or other proceedings, so legal aid is not limited to people bringing claims.[1] An undertrial prisoner, a tenant facing eviction and a mother claiming maintenance can all apply. Second, the definition expressly treats mediation as a form of legal aid. In 2026 the state is not only paying for lawyers; it is running a dispute resolution service.

The policy behind the system

The scheme exists to turn constitutional promises of equality before the law into something a person without money can use. The scale is now substantial. The organisation's own figures, reported in October 2026, show 1,663,620 people received government-funded legal aid between 2009 and September 2026, and Tk 425.20 crore was recovered for beneficiaries through the service.[10] National Legal Aid Day is observed every year on 28 April.[7]

The 2026 reforms: from NLASO to a Directorate

The current framework was built in two stages. The interim government first amended the 2000 Act by ordinance in 2025, introducing mandatory pre-case mediation from 1 July 2025.[6] A second amending ordinance followed on 6 January 2026, establishing a Legal Aid Directorate, a mediator certification and licensing system and online applications.[5] After the February 2026 elections, Parliament replaced the ordinances with the Legal Aid Services (Amendment) Act 2026, Act No. 45 of 2026, dated 10 April 2026.[3]

What the 2026 Act changed

The 2026 Act substitutes most of the original statute. It adds alternative dispute resolution to the Act's title and preamble, replaces the definitions, and requires the government to establish, by gazette notification, the Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Directorate with its head office in Dhaka.[1] [3] Once the Directorate is established, the National Legal Aid Services Organisation is dissolved, and its employees, assets, ongoing work and completed work pass to the Directorate.[1] Official reporting in October 2026 still used the NLASO name, so expect both names to appear on forms, signboards and websites during the transition.[10]

The Act also inserts sections 15A to 15C on special mediators and mediator certification, substitutes section 16 on applications, and inserts sections 21B to 21E on mandatory pre-case mediation, the effect of mediation agreements, assistance from other bodies and good-faith protection, together with a new schedule of covered disputes.[3]

The Directorate's functions

Section 7 now gives the Directorate a long list of duties. The most important for applicants are providing legal aid at government expense and setting the eligibility criteria from time to time; expanding mediation as a fast, low-cost form of dispute resolution; providing emergency legal support where a citizen, child or aggrieved person needs immediate help; arranging legal aid for Bangladeshi expatriates and migrant workers abroad; building a referral system to services such as mental health support, safe shelter and employment; and making legal aid services digitally accessible.[1] The Directorate must also publish its annual report on its website within seven working days of submitting it to the government.[1]

How legal aid Bangladesh services are organised

The service is delivered through a layered structure of advisory bodies, committees and offices, rather than a single national agency handling every file.

National Advisory Council

A National Advisory Council chaired by the minister responsible for law sets direction, with the Director General of the Directorate as member-secretary and two NGO representatives serving two-year terms.[3]

District committees and district legal aid offices

Every district has a District Committee chaired by the District and Sessions Judge. Its members include the Chief Judicial Magistrate, the District Magistrate, the Superintendent of Police, the Civil Surgeon, the jail superintendent, social welfare, women's and children's affairs officers, the President and General Secretary of the District Bar Association, the Government Pleader, the Public Prosecutor and a local NGO representative. The Chief Legal Aid Officer is member-secretary.[1] Where a Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal sits in the district, its judge and special public prosecutor are also members.[1]

The working unit is the district legal aid office. Chief Legal Aid Officers and Legal Aid Officers are appointed from members of the Bangladesh Judicial Service, and they may advise applicants, initiate pre-case mediation and settle compoundable matters referred to them by a court or tribunal after a case is filed.[1] In twelve districts, officers of joint district and sessions judge rank now serve as Chief Legal Aid Officers.[7] Between 2009 and September 2026 the 64 district offices served 1,383,617 people.[10]

Metropolitan, upazila, union and special committees

The Act also provides for metropolitan committees in the cities, upazila and union committees, and special committees, which prepare panels for labour courts and chowki courts.[1] Labour legal aid cells operate in Dhaka and Chattogram and had served 30,658 people by September 2026.[10]

Panel lawyers and special mediators

Each committee keeps a panel of lawyers with at least five years' experience in the relevant courts, and each list must include at least one-third women lawyers where suitable candidates are available. When legal aid is granted, a lawyer is appointed from the approved list through the Chief Legal Aid Officer or Legal Aid Officer, and the applicant's own choice is to be considered as far as possible.[1] Special mediators are drawn from retired District Judges and advocates with mediation experience and specialised training, appointed to legal aid offices according to demand.[1] Certified mediators receive an initial five-year licence, renewable and subject to suspension or cancellation for misconduct.[5]

Who qualifies for legal aid in Bangladesh

Eligibility is the first question every applicant asks. The legal aid Bangladesh statute delivers is targeted rather than universal, and the honest answer is that the statute sets the principle while the detailed criteria sit in policy. The Act directs legal aid to people who are financially insolvent, without means or support, or unable to obtain justice for various socio-economic reasons, and gives the Directorate the power to determine the eligibility criteria from time to time.[1]

Categories of eligible people

The policy framework that has applied since 2014 combines an annual income ceiling with categories of people treated as eligible because of their circumstances. As reported, those categories include:[12]

• people whose annual income falls below the ceiling set for the relevant court, with a higher ceiling for Supreme Court cases;
• persons with disabilities who cannot earn a living or are unemployed;
• freedom fighters who cannot work, are unemployed or fall below the income limit;
• recipients of old-age allowance and poor women holding government safety-net cards;
• victims of trafficking and women and children attacked with acid;
• members of indigenous communities;
• victims of family violence or those at risk of it, poor widows and deserted women;
• homeless people and people allocated land or housing by the government;
• undertrial prisoners who cannot afford representation and people recommended by prison authorities; and
• anyone else the authority considers needy because financial hardship prevents them from defending their rights.

Income ceilings in practice

The income ceilings have been revised more than once, and the 2026 Act now leaves the criteria to the Directorate.[1] [12] Do not rely on an old figure from a leaflet or website. Ask the district legal aid office or the helpline for the current ceiling and, if your income is close to it, explain any dependants, debts, medical costs or loss of earnings. The legal test is inability to obtain justice, not a single number, and the categories above apply regardless of how a ceiling is set.

Who usually does not qualify

Companies, businesses and people who can afford private representation are outside the scheme. Mandatory pre-case mediation is different: it applies to every party to a scheduled dispute in a notified district, whatever their means, because it is a filing condition rather than a benefit.[2] A wealthy landlord in a covered rent dispute must still attend the legal aid office before going to court.

How to apply for legal aid

The application rules were simplified in 2026. Applications may be submitted directly or online to the Supreme Court legal aid office or to a legal aid office at regional, district or upazila level.[1] [3] The district legal aid office is usually based at the district court; an applicant who cannot complete a form should ask the office for help.

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What happens after you apply

The office assesses eligibility and the nature of the problem. Some matters are resolved with advice alone; others are referred to mediation; others are assigned a panel lawyer to file or defend a case. Panel lawyers are paid by the state at rates fixed by regulation, so the applicant should not be asked for fees.[1] If anyone demands payment for a legal aid service, report it to the Chief Legal Aid Officer.

If your application is refused

A person whose application is rejected by any office may appeal to the Director General of the Directorate within 60 days of the decision, and the Director General's decision is final.[1] Keep a copy of the refusal and the date it was given to you, and state in the appeal precisely why you meet the criteria. A refusal does not stop any limitation period running, so take advice on deadlines at the same time.

Using the national helpline

The government's national legal aid helpline was launched on 28 April 2016 and was publicised for years on the toll-free number 16430.[11] Official reporting in 2026 gives the national toll-free helpline as 16699, and by September 2026 the helpline had served 274,079 people.[10] Callers can get legal information, find their nearest office and, in urgent cases, emergency support. Check the number currently listed on the organisation's website before relying on either.

Mandatory pre-case mediation under section 21B

The most consequential change to legal aid Bangladesh has seen is that, for certain disputes, the legal aid office is now the compulsory first stop. Section 21B states that its pre-case mediation provisions have effect notwithstanding any other law. For a dispute listed in the schedule, the aggrieved party must first apply to a legal aid office for mediation, and only if mediation fails may any party file a suit or case in the appropriate court.[2]

The procedural rules

• Report to the court: anyone filing after a failed mediation must submit a report, in the form prescribed by rules, to the court.[2] In practice this is the mediation failure certificate issued by the office.[6]
• Limitation protected: the time spent in pre-case mediation is excluded when calculating the limitation period for the later suit.[2]
• District-wide jurisdiction: the Chief Legal Aid Officer, Legal Aid Officer or special mediator has jurisdiction over the whole district.[2]
• Time limit: the rules issued in September 2025 required mediation to be concluded within 21 working days.[6]
• Enforcement support: where special measures are needed during mediation, the legal aid office may issue orders or directions, and law enforcement agencies and statutory bodies must assist.[1]

Covered disputes

The schedule lists nine categories. As summarised in official reporting for National Legal Aid Day 2026, they are restitution of conjugal rights, dower, maintenance, and guardianship and custody of children under the Family Courts Act 2023; house rent disputes; partition disputes in civil judge courts; maintenance of parents; cheque dishonour complaints up to Tk 3 lakh; and complaints of violence against women over dowry.[7]

The schedule itself refers to section 5 of the Family Courts Act 2023, section 96 of the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act 1950 and section 24 of the Non-Agricultural Tenancy Act 1949 on pre-emption, section 8 of the Parents' Maintenance Act 2013, sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act 2018, section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881 and section 11 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000.[4]

The list has moved. At the 2025 launch, cheque dishonour claims were excluded because of the caseload they would create, and a dowry-injury provision of the women and children repression law was dropped after objections from rights groups.[6] Both are now in the schedule.[4] For cheque cases, read our guide to cheque dishonour in Bangladesh.

Where it applies

Mandatory mediation began in twelve districts in September 2025: Faridpur, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Satkhira, Kushtia, Cumilla, Noakhali, Rangamati, Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj.[6] The pilot later ran in twenty districts, and on 21 July 2026 the Law Minister, Md Asaduzzaman, extended section 21B to ten more: Bogura, Thakurgaon, Patuakhali, Bhola, Natore, Jashore, Shariatpur, Cox's Bazar, Panchagarh and Tangail.[8]

Gazette notifications brought most schedule items into force from 21 July 2026, and by S.R.O. No. 288 of 30 July 2026 section 21B took effect from 31 July 2026 in 30 listed districts, with the cheque and women and children repression items commencing from that date.[2] [4] The government plans to extend the scheme nationwide in phases, so check the current notification before filing anywhere.[7]

What a certified settlement is worth

Every mediation agreement signed by the parties and the mediator and certified by the Chief Legal Aid Officer is final, enforceable and binding, and is treated as a decree of a court or a final order that can be executed through the court with jurisdiction.[1] That status is powerful, which is why the drafting matters: fixed sums, payment dates, possession dates, property descriptions and default terms. Our guide to mediation in Bangladesh explains how to prepare for a session and draft an enforceable settlement.

Early results

In the first two months, 5,916 applications were made under the covered laws and 3,041, or 51 per cent, were settled, with family and dowry disputes making up about 87 per cent of the total.[6] Comparing February to May 2026 with the same months of 2025 in the pilot districts, the Law Minister reported an average fall in new filings of 62.02 per cent, including family court cases falling from 3,559 to 1,744 and partition suits from 2,001 to 661.[8]

Mediation, safety and the limits of compulsion

Compulsory mediation raises a real concern where one party is afraid of the other. Women's rights and human rights activists objected strongly in 2025 to requiring women to negotiate with an accused before filing a criminal complaint.[6] The Act's answer is partly structural: mediation is conducted by judicial officers or trained special mediators, the Directorate must build referral links to safe shelter and other support, and the office can call on law enforcement for assistance.[1] It does not remove the risk.

If you fear violence, tell the district legal aid office at the outset, ask for separate sessions, bring a support person, and seek advice on protective remedies. Nobody is obliged to accept a settlement. A failed mediation still opens the court door, and limitation time spent in mediation is protected.[2] Family disputes involving children should also be approached with the child's welfare at the centre; our guide to child custody and guardianship in Bangladesh explains the court's approach.

Supreme Court legal aid

Legal aid is not confined to the trial courts. At the apex courts, legal aid Bangladesh provides works through a separate committee and office. A Supreme Court Committee sits within the Supreme Court, chaired by a High Court Division judge nominated by the Chief Justice, with a Registrar of the High Court Division, Supreme Court Bar Association representatives, two human rights lawyers (one a woman), two NGO representatives, a Deputy Attorney-General, a Directorate officer and the Supreme Court Legal Aid Officer as member-secretary.[1] The Committee keeps a panel of lawyers with at least five years' experience before the Supreme Court; the experience requirement may be relaxed for retired District Judges enrolled as Supreme Court advocates.[1]

The Supreme Court legal aid service began in September 2015 and had served 31,409 people by September 2026.[12] [10] Because the Act defines a court to include both divisions of the Supreme Court, eligible applicants can seek help with matters before the High Court Division and the Appellate Division.[1] For constitutional challenges, see our guide to writ petitions in Bangladesh; for criminal matters, our analysis of bail law and criminal defence.

Post-case mediation at the Supreme Court

In August 2026 the Chief Justice authorised the Supreme Court Legal Aid Office to settle pending cases through mediation under seven laws: the Family Courts Act 2023, the Parents' Maintenance Act 2013, the Dowry Prohibition Act 2018, the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000, specified sections of the Penal Code 1860 and the Specific Relief Act 1877, and section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881.[9] Serious non-compoundable offences such as murder and rape are excluded, the service is free, it aims to conclude within one to two months, and the office reports the outcome to the court, which disposes of the case.[9]

NGO legal aid: BLAST, ASK and others

NGO legal aid Bangladesh has relied on for decades still matters. Non-governmental organisations were providing legal aid long before the state scheme became effective, and they remain essential, particularly for strategic litigation, gender-based violence and cases the government system cannot take on. The 2026 Act formalises their role: an NGO engaged in legal aid or mediation must notify the Directorate of its working area, file quarterly reports, and have its work included in an integrated national report.[1] NGO representatives also sit on the Supreme Court and district committees.[1]

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST)

BLAST was founded in 1993 and describes itself as one of the largest legal services organisations in the country, working in more than nineteen districts. Its programmes cover legal aid, public interest litigation, social justice, economic justice and gender justice, and it runs a free legal advice helpline, 01715-220220, from 9 am to 5 pm.[13]

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)

Ain o Salish Kendra was established in 1986. It provides free legal services to poor women, working children and workers, including support for victims of arbitrary arrest and preventive detention, delivered through mediation and litigation, and it pursues public interest litigation, human rights investigation and advocacy.[14]

Choosing between state and NGO legal aid

The two are complementary. The state system has statutory reach, compulsory mediation powers and decree-status settlements; NGOs bring specialist experience in gender violence, labour, land and constitutional litigation. An applicant may approach both, but should tell each about the other to avoid conflicting steps.

Comparing the routes to legal aid Bangladesh provides

The table below compares the main channels through which people can reach free legal help. On a phone, scroll it sideways.

For many people the right sequence is a call to the helpline, a visit to the district legal aid office, mediation where the dispute is scheduled, and a panel lawyer if mediation fails. Our overview of alternative dispute resolution in Bangladesh explains how legal aid mediation fits alongside court-annexed mediation and arbitration, and our guide to court-annexed mediation covers the second mediation stage inside a filed suit.

Practical points for applicants, families and advisers

• Bring paper. Identity documents, any income or allowance evidence, and every notice, summons, deed, nikahnama or cheque connected to the dispute will speed up the assessment.
• Do not miss a deadline while you wait. Legal aid processing does not suspend limitation, except that time in section 21B mediation is excluded for scheduled disputes.[2]
• Check the district. In a notified district, filing a scheduled dispute without first going to the district legal aid office risks the case being refused or delayed.
• Read the settlement before signing. A certified agreement has decree status, so a vague term can be harder to enforce than a judgment.[1]
• Use the appeal. A refusal can be appealed to the Director General within 60 days.[1]
• Migrant workers and families abroad. The Directorate has a statutory duty to arrange legal aid for Bangladeshi expatriates and migrant workers, so ask the helpline about remote access.[1]

Landlords, lenders and employers in scheduled disputes will also meet the other side first at the legal aid office, so attend with a decision-maker. For family matters, TRW's family mediation and settlement practice advises parties who are not eligible for state aid but want to resolve matters through the same route.

What to watch in late 2026 and 2027

Four developments will shape legal aid Bangladesh-wide over the next year. First, the formal establishment of the Directorate and the dissolution of NLASO will settle the institutional picture.[1] Second, mandatory mediation is expected to reach more districts in phases.[7] Third, rules and regulations under the 2026 Act will fix eligibility criteria, mediation timelines and fees for panel lawyers and special mediators. Fourth, capacity remains the constraint: the Law Minister has linked the court backlog of about 4.5 million cases to a shortage of judges and is training Chief Legal Aid Officers, with the first such programme, supported by JICA, held in October 2026.[8] [10]

Legal aid is a right, not a favour. If you are unsure whether you qualify, whether your dispute must go to mediation first, or how to protect a deadline, take advice early. Where state legal aid is not available, contact TRW to discuss representation, mediation or a settlement strategy.

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible for legal aid in Bangladesh?

People who cannot obtain justice because they are financially insolvent, destitute or disadvantaged for socio-economic reasons. The policy framework combines an income ceiling with categories such as persons with disabilities, poor widows and deserted women, trafficking and acid violence victims and undertrial prisoners, and the Directorate now sets the criteria.[1] [12]

How do I apply for government legal aid?

Apply in person or online to the Supreme Court legal aid office or a regional, district or upazila legal aid office. Bring identity documents and papers about the dispute.[1]

What is the national legal aid helpline number?

The helpline was launched in 2016 on 16430, and 2026 official reporting lists the toll-free number as 16699. Confirm the current number on the official website.[10] [11]

Does legal aid cost anything?

No. Advice, panel lawyers, mediation and incidental case costs are provided at government expense, and panel lawyers are paid by the state.[1]

Can I appeal if my legal aid application is refused?

Yes. You may appeal to the Director General within 60 days of the decision, and the Director General's decision is final.[1]

Which disputes must go to legal aid mediation before court?

Restitution of conjugal rights, dower, maintenance, child guardianship and custody, house rent, partition, parents' maintenance, cheque dishonour up to Tk 3 lakh and dowry-related violence complaints, in notified districts.[4] [7]

Where does mandatory pre-case mediation apply?

In 30 districts listed by gazette notification, including the original twelve pilot districts and the ten added on 21 July 2026, such as Bogura, Jashore, Cox's Bazar and Tangail.[2] [8]

Is a legal aid mediation settlement binding?

Yes. An agreement signed by the parties and mediator and certified by the Chief Legal Aid Officer is treated as a court decree or final order and can be executed through the court.[1]

Does the Supreme Court provide legal aid?

Yes. The Supreme Court legal aid office assigns panel lawyers for eligible applicants and, since August 2026, may mediate pending cases under seven laws, free of charge.[1] [9]

Which NGOs provide free legal aid in Bangladesh?

Leading providers include BLAST, founded in 1993, and Ain o Salish Kendra, founded in 1986, both offering free legal services and public interest litigation.[13] [14]