Survey CLS Report PMID 2012

THE COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES (CLS)
PROJECT
Final Report
Mapping Exercise and Institutional Survey for

the Community Legal Services Project
July 2012
Submitted by:
PMID Participatory Management Initiative for Development

Participatory 1/11 Iqbal Road (2nd Building, Ground Flr.), Block A, Mohammadpur, Dhaka 1207.
Management Tel: 880 2 9137432, Cell: 01711 731216 Fax: +88-02-913;
Initiative for E-mail: info@pmidbd.org, pmidbd@yahoo.com;
Development
Website: www.pmidbd.org
CLS Report on Mapping Exercise and Institutional Survey for the Community Legal
Services Project
Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms
Executive Summary
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION, BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE ................................................................................... 11

1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................11
1.1 COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES PROJECT .....................................................................................................................................11
1.2 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE OF THE BASELINE STUDY ...............................................................................................................12
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE BASELINE STUDY ............................................................................................................................................12
CHAPTER 2: APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 14
2.0 APPROACH.......................................................................................................................................................................14
2.1 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................................15
2.2 DATA COLLECTION METHODS AND TOOLS ................................................................................................................................15
CHAPTER 3: COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES (CLS) IN BANGLADESH: AN OVERVIEW ......................................................... 16
3.1 CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL PROVISIONS ....................................................................................................................................16
3.1.1 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 16
3.1.2 LEGAL PROVISIONS................................................................................................................................................................ 16
3.2 TYPES OF COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES (CLSS)..............................................................................................................................18
3.2.1 ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR) ................................................................................................................................ 18
3.3 LEGAL AID ............................................................................................................................................................................19
3.3.1 GOVERNMENT LEGAL AID ....................................................................................................................................................... 20
3.3.2 NGO BASED LEGAL AID ......................................................................................................................................................... 20
3.3.3 LEGAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENESS PROGRAMS ................................................................................................................... 20
3.3.4 LOCAL JUSTICE ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20
3.3.5 INVESTIGATION, MONITORING AND REPORTING OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ................................................................................ 20
CHAPTER 4:NGOS AND COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES ............................................................................................ 21
4.1 ORGANIZATIONAL MANDATE AND SERVICES ..............................................................................................................................21
4.2 COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES (CLS) PROVIDED BY THE SELECTED NGOS ..........................................................................................28
4.2.1 MEDIATION OF DISPUTES AT THE VILLAGE LEVEL .......................................................................................................................... 28
4.2.2MEDIATION OF DISPUTES THROUGH CBOS .................................................................................................................................. 28
4.2.3REFERRAL OF CASES FOR LEGAL AID TO NGOS .............................................................................................................................. 29
4.2.4 LEGAL AID FROM DISTRICT LEVEL TO THE SUPREME COURT.............................................................................................................. 29
4.2.5 LEGAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENESS PROGRAMS ..................................................................................................................... 29
4.2.6 ACTIVATING VILLAGE COURTS, ARBITRATION COUNCIL AND POURO SHALISH BOARD (MUNICIPAL ARBITRATION BOARD) ............................ 30
4.2.7 INVESTIGATING, MONITORING AND REPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS .................................................................................... 30
4.2.8 OTHER SERVICES .................................................................................................................................................................. 30
4.3 COVERAGE BY AREA ...........................................................................................................................................................31
4.4 PARTNERSHIP AND NETWORKING ..............................................................................................................................................31
4.4.1 PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATION WITH GO, CSOS AND NGOS ...................................................................................................... 31
4.4.2 PANEL LAWYERS ................................................................................................................................................................... 32
4.4.3 NETWORKS AND MEMBERSHIP ................................................................................................................................................ 32
4.5 KNOWLEDGE SHARING............................................................................................................................................................32
4.6 MONITORING AND FOLLOW UP MECHANISM OF CLS ........................................................................................................................34
4.7 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF SELECTED NGOS .........................................................................................................................34
4.7.1 STRENGTHS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 34
4.7.2 WEAKNESSES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 35
CHAPTER 5:ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF NGOS ......................................................................................38
5.1 ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................38
5.2 LEGAL STATUS .......................................................................................................................................................................38
5.3 RESOURCES/FUNDING SOURCES .................................................................................................................................................39
5.4 HUMAN RESOURCES................................................................................................................................................................40
5.5 TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY .........................................................................................................................................40
CHAPTER 6:CONCLUSIONS AND WAY FORWARD .................................................................................................. 42
6.0 CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................................................................................42
6.1 WAY FORWARD .................................................................................................................................................................42
Annexes:
Annex 1: Fact Sheets
Annex 2: List of persons Met
Annex 3: Terms of Reference
2|Page PMID
Services Project
Consultant’s Team
Dr. Akhter Hussain, Team Leader / Institutional Development Expert

Bashir Uddin Ahmed, Village Court Expert
Md. Mahboob Murshed, Legal Expert
Rafique Ahamed Sherajee, Legal Expert
Kazi Bazlul Karim, Socio-economist
Faisal Ahmed, Socio-economist
3|Page PMID
Services Project
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms

ADR : Alternative Dispute Resolution
ASK : Ain o Salish Kendra
ASF : Acid Survivor Foundation
AVCB : Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh
BELA : Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association
BLAST : Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust
BNWLA : Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association
BS : Bachte Shekha
CBO : Community Based Organization
CEO : Chief Executive Officer
CIDA : Canadian Development Agency
CLS : Community Legal Service
CSOs : Civil Society Organizations
DANIDA :Danish International Development Agency
EC : Executive Committee
EU : European Union
ESDO : Eco Social Development Organization
FSVGD : Food Security for Vulnerable Group Development
GIS : Geographical Information System
GO : Government Organization
HRLS : Human Rights and Legal Aid Services
IOM : International Organization for Migration
IUCN : International Union for Conservation of Nature
LH : Light House
MIS : Management Information System
MJF : Manusher Jonno Foundation
MLAA : Madaripur Legal Aid Association
NGOs : Non-Government Organizations
NU : Nagorik Uddyog
OCC : One stop Crisis Center
PILs : Public Interest Litigations
PMID : Participatory Management Initiative for Development
RDRS : Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service
S&J : Safety and Justice
SDF : Social Development Foundation
SIDA : Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
STD : Step Towards Development
SUS : Sabalamby UnnayanSamity
UK : United Kingdom
UNDP : United Nations Development Programme
UP : Union Parishad
WB : World Bank
WF : WAVE Foundation
4|Page PMID
Services Project
Executive Summary
Introduction and Objectives

Every democratic society needs to ensure justice for all citizens. Community legal service
is one of the mechanisms necessary to uphold human rights and equality to ensure
justice. The Constitution of Bangladesh has in clear terms recognized the basic
fundamental human rights. The government also has framed different laws and acts to
provide Community Legal Service (CLS) especially for the poor and the marginalized. In
Bangladesh, some Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) have pioneered the CLS
movement.
The Community Legal Services Project (CLS) is a recently approved project funded by the
DFID and implemented by a consortium. This project seeks to empower and support
legal and human rights NGOs in Bangladesh to deliver community legal services, such as
legal aid, community mediation, alternative dispute resolution, resolution of land rights
issues, in as many districts as possible.
The CLS project intended to conduct a baseline study, consisting of a mapping exercise
and an institutional survey with the following objectives:
 Conduct mapping exercise that will determine the current scope and extent of CLS
activities being done by various legal NGOs by themselves, through their field
offices or through their partner NGOs; and
 Conduct institutional survey that will provide information on the extent of the
work of the legal NGOs, their governance structure, their donors and their partner
NGOs.
Approach and Methodology

The study followed the following methods to collect data and information for the purpose
of the study:
― Document review
― Key informants interview
― Institution visit to collect first-hand information
Constitutional Provisions
Article 7 of the Constitution vests all powers of the Republic on the people. From articles
26-44, there are 23 fundamental rights guaranteed for the citizens/ any person amongst
which most important are equality before law, nondiscrimination on grounds of religion,
race, caste, sex etc., equality of opportunity in public employment, right to protection of
law, protection of right to life and personal liberty, safeguards as to arrest and detention,
protection in respect of trial and punishment etc. These are the basis of CLS in
5|Page PMID
Services Project
Bangladesh. Right to move the High Court Division under article 102 in order to enforce
these fundamental rights is also guaranteed by the Constitution.
Legal Provisions
The important laws which deal with CLS specifically are the Legal Aid Service Act, 2000,
the Village Courts Act, 2006, the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961, the Resolution of
Dispute ( Municipal Area) Board Act, 2000, the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and Salish
Ain, 2001 (Arbitration Act, 2001). There are other laws which provide provision for
arbitration or CLS in different manners.
Types of Community Legal Services (CLSs)

The CLS provided both by the Government and NGOs are of different types. Majority of
these types have legal bases. These are:
 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
 Arbitration
 Mediation
 Conciliation
 NGO Administered/ Assisted Shalish and Traditional Shalish
 Government Legal Aid
 NGO Based Legal Aid
 Legal and Human Rights Awareness Programs
 Local Justice
 Investigation, Monitoring and Reporting of Human Rights Violations
Organizational Mandate and Services

As mentioned earlier 13 NGOs have been purposely selected for conducting the study. Out
of 13 NGOs,Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association
(BELA), Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA), Bangladesh Legal
Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA) are primarily
legal services organizations and they mainly endeavour to make the legal services
accessible to the poor and the marginalized. Here it should be mentioned that other than
MLAA, all other above mentioned NGOs’ operations cover the whole country as they
cater to the legal needs of the aggrieved citizens coming from different parts of the
country.
On the other hand, the rest 8 studied NGO (Bachte Shekha, ESDO, RDRS, WAVE
Foundation, SUS, Light House, Nagorik Udjog and BRAC) are engaged in diversified
functions and operation. However, they also provide CLSs. But in most of the cases these
are project based in nature.
Community Legal Services (CLS) provided by the selected NGOs

 Mediation of disputes at the village level
 Mediation of disputes through CBOs
 Referral of cases for legal aid to NGOs
6|Page PMID
Services Project
 Legal aid from district level to the Supreme Court
 Legal and human rights awareness programs
 Activating Village Courts, Arbitration Council and Pouro Shalish Board (Municipal
Arbitration Board)
 Investigating, Monitoring and Reporting Human Rights Violations
 Other Services
 Victim support Centre
 Shelter home
 OCC
Coverage by area
Organization District Upazila Union

BRAC 61 431 -
ASK 32 - -
BELA 37 60 -
BNWLA 34 12 06
BLAST 20 (unit office) 11 55
41 (non-district unit)
ESDO 06 21 86
RDRS 08 44 412
MLAA 12 43 282
BS 3 7 36
SUS 5 11 74
LH 5 42 127
NU 08 18 137
WF 12 27 146
Partnership and cooperation with GO, CSOs and NGOs

These activities of the studied organizations are complemented by engaging in collective
action with other actors to bring about synergies and impacts which are beyond the
capacity of a single organization in order to achieve shared goals. This includes
government agencies at different levels, civil society organizations and networks,
professional and research institutions, the business sector and actors outside Bangladesh
(partners, alliances, institutions) etc.
Panel Lawyers
The NGOs maintain panel of lawyers outside of their organizations to assist them on legal
issues including court cases. Panel lawyers across Bangladesh provide legal advice and
representation service to the clients. These organizations are also supported by
consultative groups, comprised of young professionals, including researchers, lawyers,
and human rights advocates. These NGOs have a close relationship with the Bar
7|Page PMID
Services Project
Associations at all levels, in particular through its management committees comprised of
leaders of the Bar within each District.
Networks and Membership

In addition to direct bilateral links with many agencies and actors, these NGOs are
members of a wide range of multilateral alliances and networks. The specific role of
alliances and networks vary but include policy advocacy and, even more critical
implementation advocacy, in solidarity research, knowledge gathering and information
exchange, liaison and co-ordination and capacity building.
Knowledge sharing
The selected NGOs undertake a number of activities that serves the purpose of
knowledge sharing. Some of these activities are:
 Seminar/workshop
 Publication of newsletters
 Reports
 Website
 Disclosure of important information through the media
 Joint event with GO and other legal aid organizations
 National and international conferences
 Training
Monitoring and follow up of CLS

The monitoring mechanism generally includes monthly report, individual case file
maintained to observe subsequent developments, record keeping in MIS, interviewing the
clients, interviewing the lawyers and other stakeholders. Monitoring information is
recorded by using tools like Monitoring Checklist, Monitoring Format, Report Card,
Documents and Questionnaire etc.
Strengths and weaknesses of selected NGOs

The key strengths includes are positive image, largeoutreach, specialization and skilled
human resources. On the other hand, important weaknesses are complete dependence on
development assistance, changing priorities of the development partners and changes in
government policies.
Organization and management

All the studied organizations are guided by their organizational constitutions and
policies, such as, Human Resources, Gender, and Finance policies. In most cases there is a
general body/trustee boards and the general body elects the executive committee (EC).
The EC provides policy guidelines. A CEO runs the day to day operations and functions of
the organizations.
8|Page PMID
Services Project
Legal status
All selected NGOs are registered with the NGO Affairs Bureau under Foreign Donation
Regulation Ordinance, 1978. ASK, BELA, BNWLA, BLAST, Banchte Sekha, Nagorik
Uddyug, and WAVE Foundation are also registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock
Companies and Firmsunder Societies Registration Act, 1860. BNWLA is also registered
with the Women Affairs Department. Department of Social Services incorporated NGOs
are ESDO, MLAA, Banchte Sekha, SUS, Light House, and WAVE Foundation. Banchte
Sekha and SUS are also registered with Micro Credit Regulatory Authority.
Resources/Funding sources
The funding mainly comes from external sources which include bi-lateral, multi-lateral
and individual organizations coming from across the globe.
Transparency and accountability

It has been reported that all the organizations are guided by their organizational
constitutions and policies, such as, Human Resource Policy, Gender Policy, and Financial
Policy etc. All these organizations have governing bodies that oversees their functions
and operations.The CLS activities of NGOs are run with the financial assistance of various
development partners. As such, for operational purpose of those programs and projects
these NGOs are also accountable to them. However, it is also observed that all the
selected NGOs are only accountable to their governing and general body members. The
common people have little information especially about their financial management.
Conclusions and Way Forward

The selected NGOs, over the years, have made significant contribution in providing
community legal services to a larger section of the country’s population. The services are
wide ranging from indigenous to formal legal means. It also encompasses both rural and
urban areas. These organizations works individually in their respective areas of operations
and at the same time build alliances and establish networks to carry forward these
services. The selected NGOs also assist the government agencies in establishing rights
and justices in the country.
Based on the findings and observations, the following suggestions and recommendations
are made as way forward.
Extend Coverage by area and population

Area coverage of CLS should be increased which will provide more access to increasing
number of the population. For this purpose three prong approaches may be adopted:
− Those NGOs (ASK, BLAST, BELA, BLWLA etc.) which also deals with public interest
litigation, their organizational presence in different districts should be extended. This
will help common people to seek their services more easily.
9|Page PMID
Services Project
− Other NGOs which are regional and local in nature, their CLS services should be
extended to other areas. This will take CLS services closer to the people and more
people could be covered.
− Village Court should be activated in more Unions in the country. This will also help in
taking CLS services to the doorsteps of the rural masses and thereby increasing the
area and population coverage of CLS.
Build partnership/alliances/networks
To forge partnership and build alliance, a National CLS Service Providers Forum may be
formed with the membership of the CLS service provider organizations. This will
strengthen the process of CLS, develop common ground and working relationship with
concerned agencies. Partnership and alliance should also further strengthened with the
lawyers’ community and associations throughout the country for their increased support
and active participation in the CLS process.
Partnership and networks should be developed with the CLS providing NGOs and the
media for promoting the legal cause of the people.
Establish Knowledge sharing mechanisms

For knowledge sharing, there should be increased publications of good practices and
learning by different CLS providing NGOs. Besides, study tours to different NGOs’ project
areas should be organized to help the learning process. Seminars, workshops etc. should
be organized both at the local, regional and national level.
Build Capacity
A comprehensive capacity need assessment should be conducted in the area of CLS of
selected organizations. This will help in identifying capacity gaps in specific areas and
specific organizations. Based on the findings, capacity building initiatives should be taken
to further develop human resources, system, technology related to CLS.
10 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Chapter 1:
Introduction, Background and Rationale
1.0 Introduction
Every democratic society needs to ensure justice for all citizens. Community legal service
is necessary to uphold human rights and equality to ensure justice. Scholars have
identified legal service as an effective instrument for ensuring rule of law in the societies.
Legal service is also an instrument to seek protection under law. It is the professional
legal assistance given, either free or for a nominal sum, to indigent persons in need of
such helps.
The Constitution of Bangladesh has in clear terms recognized the basic fundamental
human rights. One of the basic fundamental rights guaranteed is that all citizens are
equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law. As a large number of the
population live below the poverty line, they have little or no means to have access to
justice to protect their legal rights. To address this problem legal aid services have been
instituted under different laws and acts. These laws and acts intend to providesupport to
poor people to institute or defend cases in courts.In Bangladesh, some Non-Government
Organizations (NGOs) have pioneered the CLS movement. Apart from court cases, these
NGOs have training, mediation, legal awareness, and counseling services to help indigent
people solve their legal problems.
1.1 Community Legal Services Project
Many in Bangladesh experience a high and pervasive level of insecurity. This is due to
both lack of access to justice and weak crime prevention and deterrence. A Safer World
survey found 31% respondents reported crime as a problem and 38% have experienced
crime in the past 2 years. In particular, women, non-Muslims, non-Bengalis and those
living in urban centers suffer. Recognizing these issues, Safety and Justice (S&J)
Program have been initiated. One of the components of the program would support the
expansion of the range of Community Legal Services (CLS) mechanisms. The purpose of
this component is to “increase access to accountable and speedy dispute resolution, legal
services, crime prevention mechanisms that protect the rights of women, children, ethnic
and religious minorities and marginalized communities”. The main aim of the CLS is to
help NGOs deliver more and better services for poor and marginalized people in a way
that complements and stimulates government provision, will be sustainable and supports
wider justice sector reforms.
The objective is to improve the quality and coverage of CLS, build sustainability into CLS
programs and organizations, and improve the capacity of the formal justice sector to
increase access to justice for the poor and most marginalized groups.
11 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
The project’s results will be measured by enhanced delivery by NGOs to greater
geographical areas (including urban areas), improved targeting of poor and excluded
(specifically women, children and minorities), as well as greater quality assurance,
attention to sustainability of interventions, better local level collaboration with
government authorities, greater advocacy and policy dialogue with government at the
national level. Impact will also be measured in terms of effect on prevalent and persistent
issues such as violence against women, dowry and land disputes.
1.2 Background and Rationale of the Baseline Study
The Community Legal Services Project (CLS) is a recently approved project funded by the
DFID and implemented by a consortium of Maxwell Stamp PLC, as principal contractor,
and the British Council and the Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (UK) as the
consortium partners. The CLS seeks to empower and support legal and human rights
NGOs in Bangladesh in order to deliver community legal services, such as legal aid,
community mediation, alternative dispute resolution, resolution of land rights issues, in
as many districts as possible. The project has started in February 12, 2012, and the
inception period will end on August 12, 2012. The main strategy of the project is providing
grants to CLS’s partner organizations in order to deliver CLS in the areas where they are
most needed, especially in the hard to reach areas, and areas where there has been no
CLS activity yet in the past.
In 2007, a mapping exercise has been conducted by the Asia Foundation, which has
identified the various NGOs working in the area of CLS. This 2007 study has concluded
that CLS activities are present in 35% of the country. This is a conclusion which the
baseline study would like to validate. Since the study has been conducted in 2007, the
state of affairs in CLS may have changed over the years. The benchmarking of the extent
of CLS activities in Bangladesh is important for several important reasons: (a) this data
will inform the log-frame of the project, and target for expanding CLS in the future; and
(b) this data will be the basis for making geographic expansion plan for the expanding
CLS in Bangladesh; (c) the baseline will also serve as the inputs for a capacity
development strategy wherein the project intends to tap the more mature and
experienced NGOs to provide capacity building support to the less experienced NGOs or
to NGOs who would like to adopt a CLS component in their existing development work;
and (d) the baseline will also provide input data to the Geographical Information System
(GIS) which will be a monitoring tool for the expansion of CLS in the country.
For the above purpose, the CLS project invited qualified research organizations, NGOs,
academic institutions, to provide services for the conduct the baseline study, consisting of
a mapping exercise and an institutional survey. After being awarded the contract, the
Participatory Management Initiative for Development (PMID) conducted baseline survey.
1.3 Objectives of the baseline study
The objectives of the baseline survey were synthesized in the following tasks:
12 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Task A: To conduct mapping exercise that will determine the current scope and extent of
CLS activities being done by various legal NGOs by themselves, through their field offices
or through their partner NGOs.
Task B: To conduct institutional survey that will provide information on the extent of the
work of the legal NGOs, their governance structure, their donors and their partner NGOs.
More importantly, to determine the training and knowledge sharing capabilities of the
NGOs and their willingness to be part of the training pool for the CLS partner NGOs in
the future through the institutional survey.
13 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Chapter 2:
Approach and Methodology
2.0 Approach
Based on the problem and objectives of the baseline study, a conceptual approach was
developed which guided in accomplishing the objectives of study. The conceptual
approach developed is provided below:
Conceptual outline of the Task
Inputs for Log-frame of the Project

Task A
Mapping
Exercise Target for future expansion of CLS
Basis for Geographic Expansion Plan
Current scope and extent of CLS
Input for Log-frame of the Project

Task B
Institutional Current scope, extent of CLS and Work
Survey of Legal NGOs
Governance Structure of NGOs

Legal NGOs Donors and Partner
Organizations
Assessment of Capacity of NGOs
Willingness to be part of the training

pool for CLS partner NGOs
14 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
2.1 Methodology
The following methodology was developed to meet the study objectives. This
methodology, however, was modified based on discussion with the client.
Study Areas
In total 13 NGOs were selected for in depth study. Of them 8 are national and the rest
regional and local NGOs.
Area Total NGOs

National 8
Regional and local 5
13
2.2 Data Collection Methods and Tools
The methodology used for this purpose included:
― Document review
― Key informants interview
― Institution visit to collect first-hand information
The methods used are presented in the following diagram:
STUDY METHOD
Document Key informants

review Institution visit
interview
Here it needs to be mentioned that 13 NGOs were selected by the project authority to
conduct the institutional study.
15 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Chapter 3:
Community Legal Services (CLS) in Bangladesh: An
Overview
In order to assess the extent of CLS in Bangladesh it is very important to define and
determine the legal ambit of CLS as well as the forms of CLS available in Bangladesh.
3.1 Constitutional and Legal Provisions
Community Legal Services are provided in Bangladesh by both government and non-
government organizations the root of which is engraved in the Constitution of the
People’s Republic of Bangladesh as well as various enacted laws of the land. In order to
assess the correct approach and extent of CLS provided by both GO and NGOs it is very
necessary to get a correct legal conception on CLS on which the Report has been
prepared.
3.1.1 Constitutional Provisions
Article 7 of the Constitution is the corner stone which vests all powers of the Republic on
the people. This article prohibits the state to make any law inconsistent with the
Constitution. This provision is the foundation of the people’s empowerment of
Bangladesh and the fountain of the enforcement of people’s rights enshrined in the
Constitution as well as other laws of the land. Article 21 declares the fundamental policy
of the Republic that all citizens to observe the Constitution and the laws, to perform
public duties and protect public property. It imposes duty on the servant of the Republic
to serve the people. This is another important basis of ensuring legal rights and services
for the people.
From articles 26-44, there are 23 fundamental rights guaranteed for the citizens/ any
person amongst which most important are equality before law, nondiscrimination on
grounds of religion, race, caste, sex etc., equality of opportunity in public employment,
right to protection of law, protection of right to life and personal liberty, safeguards as to
arrest and detention, protection in respect of trial and punishment etc. These are the
basis of CLS in Bangladesh. Right to move the High Court Division under article 102 in
order to enforce these fundamental rights is also guaranteed by the Constitution. Article
102 provides for 5 kinds of writs e.g. writ of prohibition, mandamus, certiorari, habeas
corpus and quo warranto. The basis of public interest litigation is engraved in this article.
3.1.2 Legal Provisions
The important laws which deal with CLS specifically are the Legal Aid Service Act, 2000,
the Village Courts Act, 2006, the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961, the Resolution of
Dispute ( Municipal Area) Board Act, 2000, the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and Salish
16 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Ain, 2001 (Arbitration Act, 2001). There are other laws which provide provision for
arbitration or CLS in different manners have been provided in annexes.
3.1.2.1 Legal Aid Service Act, 2000
This law has been enacted to provide legal aid to the financially insolvents, paupers and
people unable to get justice for different socio-economic reasons. The Act explicitly
defines the term ‘legal aid’ as providing legal advice and assistance to the financially
insolvents, paupers and people unable to get justice for different socio-economic reasons
for cases which can be instituted in court of law and pending litigations, providing
honorarium to the mediator or arbitrator appointed under sections 89A and 89 B of the
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, providing all reasonable expenditure of a case including
any expenditure and providing fees of Advocates.
A National Legal Aid Organization has been set up under this law the administration of
which vests on a national administration board headed by the Law Minister where
Attorney-General, Law Secretary, Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police, President
Supreme Court Bar Association are members amongst others. The National Legal Aid
Organization determines the criteria for receiving legal aid, prepares scheme for legal aid,
takes measures for advocacy and communications of legal aid services and administers
the District Legal Aid Committees. The Act provides constitution of a District Legal Aid
Committee headed by the District Judge. The Board has its own fund as well as the
District Legal Aid Committee also has its fund to carry on the functions of legal aid at the
national and district levels.
3.1.2.2 The Village Courts Act, 2006
The Village Courts are established to dispose of trifling criminal and civil cases at the
Union level under this Act. These courts are quasi formal courts the procedure of which is
largely informal though the courts are backed by law. The court consists of the Union
Parishad (UP) Chairman who acts as Chairman of the Court and each of the party is to
nominate two members among which one must be a member of UP. It can only award
compensation up to Taka 25,000 in criminal cases and it cannot inflict any punishment in
a criminal case while it can order payment of money up to Taka 25,000 or delivery of
property or possession to the actual owner thereof. The pecuniary jurisdiction of village
courts is maximum Taka 25,000. The appeal lies only in case of a decision by a majority of
3:2 votes. For a criminal case, appeal lies to the Magistrate of first Class (Senior Judicial
Magistrate) and for civil case appeal lies to the Assistant Judge having jurisdiction. The
Village Courts cannot enforce its own decision.
3.1.2.3 The Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961
This Ordinance provides for an Arbitration Council which is to be constituted by the

Chairman UP/Mayor as its Chairman and two members to be nominated one member by
each of the parties. This Council deals with polygamy, maintenance and divorce of
Muslim man and woman. The Chairman and all the members of the Council must be
17 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Muslim and if the Chairman/ Mayor come from different religion in that case the Union
Parishad/ Municipal Corporation/ City Corporation must nominate a Muslim member/
counselor as the Chairman of the Council.
3.1.2.4 The Resolution of Dispute (Municipal Area) Board Act, 2004
This Act provides for a Dispute Resolution Board to be constituted by the Mayor of the
Municipal Corporation as Chairman and four members to be nominated by the parties
where each of the parties is to nominate two members. Among the said two members
one must be a counselor of the Municipal Corporation. The Board has almost similar
powers and functions like a Village Court while the Village Court functions within the UP
and this Board functions within the Municipal area.
3.1.2.5 The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
The section 89 A of the Code provides for mediation. After filing written statement except
in suit under Artho Rin Adalat Ain, 2003 (Money Loan Court Act, 2003) in all other suits
the Court may itself mediate the suit or refer it to the parties or their respective pleaders
or to a mediator empanelled by the District Judge. Section 89 B Provides for arbitration.
At any stage of a suit if both the parties apply to the Court for arbitration in that case the
Court shall give permission to withdraw the suit to be decided under the Salish Ain, 2001
(Arbitration Act, 2001).
3.1.2.6 Salish Ain, 2001 (Arbitration Act, 2001)
Under this Act, arbitration means arbitration lead by any permanent arbitration authority
or not. This Act also defines arbitration agreement as expressly provided provision for
arbitration in an agreement or on mutual consent arises out of a legal relationship beyond
such agreement. The parties are at liberty to choose the members of Arbitration Tribunal
and the award of the Tribunal is binding upon the parties. Under specific grounds the
Court of District Judge can cancel the arbitration award.
3.2 Types of Community Legal Services (CLSs)
The CLS provided both by the Government and NGOs are of different types. Majority of
these types have legal bases. These are discussed below:
3.2.1 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a mechanism through which two contesting

parties come to an agreement short of litigation. In an ADR the conflicting parties might
take the intervention of a third party or not. Over the years, the ADR is getting popular in
Bangladesh like other developed countries. In 2003, the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 was
amended to incorporate the provisions of mediation and arbitration and make it
18 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
mandatory for court to mediate or refer for mediation and refer for arbitration on
application of parties. There are three major forms of ADR which are stated below.
3.2.1.1 Arbitration
Arbitration according to the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 means the arbitration caused
under Shalish Act, 2001. The Arbitration Tribunal under this Act is at liberty to determine
its own procedure. Therefore, procedurally the arbitration is informal. The award of the
Arbitration Tribunal is binding on the parties unless and until is set aside by the Court of
District Judge or by the High Court Division as the case may be on the specific grounds
stated in the Act.
3.2.1.2 Mediation
In mediation, the mediator tries to guide the discussion in a way that optimizes parties’
need, takes feelings into account and reframes representations.
3.2.1.3 Conciliation
Conciliation is an ADR process whereby the parties to a dispute (including future interest
disputes) agree to utilize the services of a conciliator, who then meets with the parties
separately in an attempt to resolve their differences. They do this by lowering tensions,
improving communications, interpreting issues, providing technical assistance, exploring
potential solutions and bringing about a negotiated settlement. Conciliation differs from
arbitration in that the conciliation process, in and of itself, has no legal standing, and the
conciliator usually has no authority to seek evidence or call witnesses, usually writes no
decision, and makes no award.
3.2.1.4 NGO Administered/ Assisted Shalish and Traditional Shalish
This is the most frequently and widely used informal justice system in the rural areas of
Bangladesh. NGO administered Shalish has developed some norms and standard by this
time and comparatively reliable than that of the traditional Shalish. The standard of
traditional Shalish has deteriorated substantially and sometimes such Shalish gives illegal
decision or inflict illegal punishment in the name of Fatwa.
3.3 Legal Aid
Legal aid is provided by both government and non-government agencies. National Legal
Aid Committee and District Legal Aid Committee are the creations of the Legal Aid
Service Act, 2000 and these two organizations consist of majority of government
representatives. The NGOs provide legal aid as defined in the Legal Aid Service Act 2000
to some extent.
19 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
3.3.1 Government Legal Aid
The Government provides legal aid through District Legal Aid Committee as per the
policy determined by the National Legal Aid Committee to poor and needy litigants in
both criminal and civil cases. The District Legal Aid Committee consists of District Judge
as Chair while the Chief Judicial Magistrate, representative of the Deputy Commissioner,
Superintendent of police, Government Pleader, Public Prosecutor are the members
among others.
3.3.2 NGO Based Legal Aid
NGOs provide legal aid in different forms e.g., legal counseling, legal assistance, financial
assistance to the poor litigants, enhancing legal awareness etc. Some of the NGOs assist
the justice seekers in getting assistance from District Legal Aid Committee.
3.3.3 Legal and Human Rights Awareness Programs
National Human Rights Commission is the statutory authority which offers different
human rights awareness programs. Besides, some of the NGOs as well administer legal
and human rights awareness programs.
3.3.4 Local Justice
Local justice in Bangladesh is based on both legally based administration of justice like
Village Courts and informal justice system like NGO based Shalish and traditional
Shalish.
3.3.5 Investigation, Monitoring and Reporting of Human Rights Violations
Some of the NGOs are engaged in investigation, monitoring and reporting of human
rights violations like extra judicial killing, custodial death or torture etc.
20 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Chapter 4:
NGOs and Community Legal Services
4.1 Organizational Mandate and Services
As mentioned earlier 13 NGOs have been purposively selected for conducting the study.
Here it needs to be mentioned that NGOs in Bangladesh are engaged in diverse activities.
The same NGO may be involved in multiple areas of operation. The majority of the NGOs
in Bangladesh work in broad areas, such as, education, employment and income
generation, micro-credit, health, family welfare, women and children welfare, etc.
However, there are some NGOs which primarily focus on providing legal services. Most of
the Human Rights-focused NGOs provide legal services to the aggrieved.In the current
study, out of 13 NGOs Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers
Association (BELA), Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA),
Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Madaripur Legal Aid Association
(MLAA) are primarily legal services organizations and they mainly endeavor to make the
legal services accessible to the poor and the marginalized. Here it should be mentioned
that other than MLAA, all other above mentioned NGOs operations cover the whole
country as they cater to the legal needs of the aggrieved citizens coming from different
parts of the country.
On the other hand, the rest 8 NGOs under study (Bachte Shekha, ESDO, RDRS, WAVE
Foundation, SUS, Light House, Nagorik Udjog and BRAC) are engaged in diversified
functions and operation as mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. These include
education, employment and income generation, micro-credit, health, family welfare,
women and children welfare, etc. In addition to the above, they also provide CLSs. But in
most of cases, these are project based in nature.
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) is a national legal aid and human rights organization,
established in 1986. Initially focused on providing free legal services to the
disenfranchised in Dhaka City, its aims and activities have developed over twenty five
years to encompass investigation, advocacy, media campaigning, documentation, training
and action research in addition to its core activities of legal services including legal aid,
mediation and public interest litigation.
21 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) was set up in 1992 with the
objective of establishing a sound environment and ecological order for all using law as
tool. The organization has adopted various means to create awareness amongst major
actors to activate the great bulk of environmental legislation. The broad objective of
BELA is to promote environmental justice and contribute towards the development of a
sound environmental jurisprudence. The specific objectives of the organization include:
 undertake studies on and research into the local, national and international
regulatory regime on environment;
 undertake legislative advocacy;
 seek judicial or administrative relief to ensure implementation of existing
environmental laws;
 resolve environmental disputes through court cases, alternative dispute resolution,
 mediation and other means;
 create greater awareness about environmental laws and issues;
 initiate participatory processes to ensure environmental good governance; provide
legal assistance and support endeavours for protection of the environment and
associated human rights; and
 develop networks with local, national and international groups/bodies/agencies
working on environment.
Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA)
Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) was established in 1979. The
specific objectives of the organization are to provide legal protection to targeted women
and children; undertake advocacy on enactment, reform and amendment of laws/policies;
enhance the professionalism of members /staffs and stakeholders for ensuring social
justice; provide comprehensive psychosocial supports and social safety net for targeted
beneficiaries; and, practice gender equality & good governance.
The programs and service provisions of BNWLA are particularly targeted at the poorest
and most disadvantaged areas of the country where comprehensive legal service delivery
program along with others preventive and protective supports in establishing human
rights and resisting violence against woman and child is most needed. As a human rights
organization BNWLA engages itself with proactive individuals and institutions for
establishing rule of law and gender equality by:
 constant advocacy (i.e., lobbying for reform of law/policy, action

research/sensitization programs),
 capacity building specially of women lawyers’,
 catering legal services,
22 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
 delivering comprehensive psychosocial package services,
 building social safety net and ensuring good governance through democratic
practices and also addressing women and children in conflicts (i.e. disasters-both
political and natural & discriminatory laws etc).
Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST)
Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) was established in 1993 as a free legal
services organization with a Board of Trustees comprising eminent jurists, lawyers, and
former judges of the Bangladesh Supreme Court. It provides advice and assistance in
criminal, family, civil, land and constitutional law matters. The objective of BLAST is to
provide free legal aid and to undertake public interest litigation and advocacy activities to
ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any person for any reason.
BLAST’s mission is to make the legal system accessible to the poor and the marginalized.
BLAST envisions a society based on the rule of law in which every individual, including
the poor, marginalized and excluded, in particular women, children, people with
disabilities, religious and ethnic minorities have access to justice and in which their
human rights are respected and protected.
The major activities of BLAST are:

 capacity building,
 public interest litigation and advocacy,
 legal aid, mediation,
 investigation,
 Networking, etc.
BLAST provides access to legal aid across the spectrum, from the frontlines of the formal
justice system to the apex court. It prioritizes support to women, men and children living
in poverty or facing disadvantage or discrimination. It also provides legal aid, advice and
representation across a range of areas, including civil, criminal, family, labour and land
law, as well as on constitutional rights and remedies, providing access to judicial remedies
alongside alternative dispute resolution wherever appropriate. Alongside individual legal
aid, BLAST undertakes strategic litigation, or public interest litigation, as a key part of its
advocacy for law and policy reforms to ensure effective legal protection of rights.
Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA)
Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA) was started in 1978 by a group of lawyers.
MLAA is a team of full-time lawyers and paralegal workers providing free legal assistance
on cases of land disputes, dowry, torture and abandoned women. It has the following
objectivesto:
 raise the awareness of citizens about their legal rights;
23 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
 give legal protection to women whose husbands instigate arbitrary divorce
proceeding;
 assist helpless and abandoned women to obtain maintenance from their husbands
through legal redress;
 provide legal assistance for the poor and underprivileged in all cases affecting
person or property;
 work closely with other similar organizations; and
 work to reform the law and legal system through seminars and research and
publications.
People who cannot afford legal services may avail of MLAA`s assistance upon
recommendation of the local chairman or member of the Union Parisad or a teacher of
the local school or college. Activities of MLAA include:
 free legal aid services,

 dispute resolution through mediation,
 activating UP judicial system (village court & arbitration council),
 advocacy and networking, institutional capacity building through training
programs in the Training and Resource Center (TARC) of MLAA, capacity building
of different stakeholders, and
 monitoring& evaluation.
MLAA operates offices in three neighboring districts-Madaripur, Gopalganj and

Shariatpur. Other than MLAA, all other above mentioned NGOs operations cover the
whole country as they cater to the legal needs of the aggrieved citizens coming from
different parts of the country.
Eco Social Development Organization (ESDO)
Eco Social Development Organization (ESDO)was established as a social institution in

northern part of Bangladesh in April 1988. ESDO’s goal and objectives include:
 reduction in income poverty and human poverty of the people in ESDO's working
area through undertaking massive income generation activities,
 literacy program,
 nutrition and health program,
 human rights and good governance program giving proper importance to
environmental protection and regeneration.
ESDO’s functions and activities include:
 promoting human rights,

 dignity and gender equality through people's social, economic, political and
human capacity building
24 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Women in general and children are the core and central focus of its activities. Extending
its services to the ultra-poor is its main manifesto.Eco Social Development Organization
(ESDO) has developed some policies and guideline including IEC materials on
community legal services for protecting and promoting rights and advocacy for pro-poor
along with marginalized and excluded segment of the society.
Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS)
Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) was established in 1972 to assist relief and
rehabilitation operations of greater Rangpur-Dinajpur district. The organization began
its work in the remote and physically isolated northwestern corner of the country. Since
inception, it has worked extensively and intensively in the very poor and backward rural
areas of the Rangpur and Dinajpur districts. RDRS programs put a greater emphasis on:
 improving education for children and adults,

 creating awareness on primary healthcare and decreasing infant and maternal
mortality rates,
 raising awareness of social issues, introducing the idea of women's development,
and
 backing up increased credit provision with relevant skills' training.
Banchte Shekha (BS)
Banchte Shekha works in the southern part of Bangladesh with base in Jessore. It was
established in 1976 to improve the socio-economic condition of women in the region with
a long-term objective to empower women and reduce poverty in the depressed areas for
the disadvantage people particularly vulnerable women. Banchte Shekha aims to improve
the socio-economic condition of its beneficiaries in the working area especially to
establish the women and child rights.
It endeavors to bring about a positive change in:
 economic, cultural and women empowerment,

 human rights establishment by facing different types of challenges and risks
including prolonged conflict, confrontation, natural disaster, social trend and
tendencies, fundamentalism etc.
Its works to:
 empower destitute, hardcore, marginalized, disadvantaged women through
various human rights and empowerment activities
 ensure social and legal rights against inhumane torture & injustice under
prevailing system
 assist them with multiple ways of income generation
 encourage them with savings generation
25 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
 make them aware of food preservation & development of expertise in the related
fields
 ascertain health for all and develop awareness on diseases and population control
 raise awareness on environment, ecosystem, biodiversity and climate change and
thus reduce the risk of disaster management
 create access of the women to justice and human rights
 educate people through functional and non-formal education
 provide legal aid (free) to destitute, vulnerable women and children who are most
suffers.
 develop community basedpond-fisheries and to conduct adaptive learning/ action
research on it.
Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS)
Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS) was established in 1986. SUS is a multifaceted

development organization. It works with poor and deprived people by providing different
socio-economic and cultural services with a view to eradicate poverty and injustice. This
organization aims to improve the health, education, agriculture and livelihoods of the
local community. The vision of SUS is to create environment where people live in a
society with dignity and justice with particular focus on gender equality and access to
rights and justice.
Light House (LH)
Light House is based in Northern Bangladesh that works with rural and urban asset less
poor, particularly the landless, distressed, school dropouts, child workers, marginalized
and high risk groups, and other disadvantaged adults and children. The NGO was
founded in 1988 following the devastating floods of that year. Light House’s mission is to
work in partnership with other development organizations, civil society and Government
to ensure equal access to basic human rights, social security and good governance for the
whole community, particularly the most vulnerable and most at risk groups. Light House
targeted good governance with the objective to promote and protect human rights that
supports local governance and empowers communities. Light House facilitates civil
society groups so that they can initiate their own development activities with intensive
public participation at all levels.
Nagorik Uddyog (NU)
Since its establishment in 1995, Nagorik Uddyog (NU) has worked to strengthen local
government in Bangladesh through the dual imperatives of, on the one hand, raising
awareness among the general masses of people’s basic human rights and, on the other,
building people’s capacity to pursue and realize these rights.
26 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
NU recognizes that democratic elections are by themselves insufficient in fulfilling
democracy; that the poor, marginalized and disadvantaged must be given the power to
participate in and contribute to all those decision-making processes that affect their lives.
NU holds special interest in democratizing the historically gender-imbalanced Shalish,

Bangladesh’s traditional rural dispute-resolution system. A fair and equitable Shalish
especially entails unprecedented access to justice for rural women – the ‘poorest of the
poor’ in this country – and in turn a new and exciting horizon in Bangladesh’s
development journey.
Wave Foundation (WF)
WAVE Foundation was established in 1990. Since inception WAVE Foundation has been
working in the field of human rights, good governance, micro-finance, agriculture, water
& sanitation and other development related issues. The aims of these activities are socio-
economic empowerment and livelihood, security of poor and marginalized people.
Though WAVE Foundation does not have any formal stated policy or guideline around
community legal services, however, since inception, WAVE undertook different activities
on promoting human rights, socio-economic development of the poor and marginalized.
BRAC
BRAC was established in 1972 soon after the independence of Bangladesh. BRAC has
organized the isolated poor and learned to understand their needs by finding practical
ways to increase their access to resources, support their entrepreneurship and empower
them to become agents of change. Women and girls have been the focus of BRAC’s anti-
poverty approach; BRAC recognizes both their vulnerabilities and thirst for change.
BRAC has large programs and projects. At the same time, it has the largest CLS program
in the country run through its more than 500 CLS clinics. BRAC’s Human Rights and
Legal Aid Services (HRLS) Program is dedicated to protecting and promoting human
rights of the poor and marginalized through legal empowerment.
The CLS program’s activities include:

 legal education,
 legal aid service provision through Legal Aid Clinics which includes also
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR),
 rescue operational support, counseling,
 legal referrals,
 staff training and capacity building and
 networking and strengthening partnerships
Alongside providing direct service, with partner support from like-minded legal aid and
human rights institutions, HRLS is able to assist in Writ Petitions and Public Interest
Litigations (PILs). In addition HRLS also engages in knowledge-generating sessions to
27 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
collaboratively achieve mutual strategies that directly impact the lives of vulnerable
communities.
4.2 Community Legal Services (CLS) provided by the selected NGOs
4.2.1 Mediation of disputes at the village level
As mentioned earlier that mediation is a voluntary process of resolving disputes whereby

a mediator helps disputants find a settlement which is acceptable and workable.
Mediation allows people to decide how they would like to settle their problem and tries
to help them reconcile. Resolving disputes through mediation allows individuals and
families to quickly recover land, assets, maintenance, dower and/or arrears of wages. The
recovered funds are used by clients for many purposes, such as, to earn livelihoods, begin
savings, or send children to school.
BRAC, ASK, BLAST, BNWLA, ESDO, RDRS, BS, SUS and NU facilitates alternative dispute
resolution (ADR) through mediation for family, land, financial, petty criminal and labour
matters. BLAST has settled over 15,000 disputes across the country since 2003. By
providing mediation services BLAST has also contributed towards reducing the
overwhelming number of cases pending before local courts.
ASK emphasizes dispute resolution through mediation in all appropriate cases, prior to
litigation. On receiving a response, it arranges one or more mediation hearings at which
the staff lawyer, the complainant and the opposite party discuss the dispute. If no
response is received to the written notice, the ASK field worker will make a personal visit
to the other party to explain the matter and request them to take part in the mediation.
Assigned staffs and trained beneficiaries of BNWLA play mediators’ role at village level.
Some times their partners also do this.
There were 1269 disputes under ESDO- through the Activating Village Courts in
Bangladesh (AVCB) project, 36 disputes were resolved through mediation.
RDRS Bangladesh providing support for strengthening the capacity of the members of
Community Policing and established linkage with different stakeholders at the village
level.
A committee comprising of 11 members exists at village level in Banchte Shekha working

areas. They facilitate alternative dispute resolution (ADR) through mediation. Some
committees are registered as CBOs.
4.2.2 Mediation of disputes through CBOs
Formation of CBOs and mediation of disputes at village level done through them are one
of the major activities of BNWLA, ESDO, RDRS, MLAA, BS, SUS, LH, NU, WF and BRAC.
28 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
BNWLA trained advanced level CBO members usually acts as mediator at village
level.Under ESDO-Food Security for Vulnerable Group Development (FSVGD) project
disputes mediation at village level are done through women and male group members.
Union Federation of RDRS plays as mediator with the support of community key persons
and Union Parishad members to resolve different family disputes (physical and mental
torture for dowry, maintenance, polygamy and illegal marital affairs, etc.).
MLAA’s refined and modified Salish, known as Madaripur Model of Mediation (MMM)
with the assistance of CBOs, operates like traditional Salish but includes skill mediators
with training on civil law and mediation procedures helped in establishing the rights of
the disadvantaged people, particularly women to ensure peaceful settlement of dispute at
local level.
4.2.3 Referral of cases for legal aid to NGOs
The selected NGOs often refer cases to other NGOs. Referrals depend on the nature of the
legal issues. RDRS, MLAA, BS, SUS, LH and NU often refer some cases for legal aid to
other concerned NGOs with relevant expertise. ESDO refers cases to BLAST for legal aid
support to the trafficked victim. On the other hand, many cases were referred from CBO
to ESDO for legal aid support. RDRS Bangladesh also provides legal assistance to the
women and girls victims when the cases are referred to it by the other organizations and
institutions, like- Federations, Professional forums, NGOs and sometimes the UP.All the
studied NGOs mentioned that they also whenever necessary refercases for legal aid to
government legal aid providers.
4.2.4 Legal aid from district level to the Supreme Court
BRAC, ASK, BLAST, BNWLA, RDRS, MLAA, SUS, NU and WF provide legal aid from
district level to the Supreme Court for poor litigants. RDRS provide legal assistance to
vulnerable women and girls. It also rescueswomen and children from jail and hands over
them to their legal guardian or keeps in different shelter homes. MLAA files cases in the
Supreme Court through BLAST. NU has a special Legal Aid Cell, which provides the legal
aid to the intended beneficiaries.NU receives application from the beneficiaries, then
arranges Salish (mediation), organizes meeting with the plaintiff and the accused for
more than 3 times, if no result is achieved, then it assists the plaintiff for legal aid.
Besides, NU organizes Legal Aid Clinic in a specific area where a group of Panel Lawyers
are engaged to provide legal services. Intended beneficiaries receive legal support free of
cost from the lawyers.
4.2.5 Legal and human rights awareness programs
Since awareness aboutrights and responsibility is the key means to protect rights and
establish justice, many NGOs organize awareness campaign on issues like human rights
and constitutionallaws, family laws, women rights and violence against women and
children. All the studied NGOs organize awareness programs across the country on legal
rights and remedies. These NGOs also conduct training workshops for local community
29 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
leaders to build legal awareness. They organize events involving participants from
grassroots communities to state institutions such as youth, community leaders, cultural
activists, journalists, teachers and students. It uses theatre and socio-cultural activities,
such as, debate competitions, publishing wall magazines, etc., as awareness raising
tools.They also try to create awareness among the policy-makers and actors
workingamong the general masses. They also advocate to reform laws to eliminate social,
legaland political discrimination on the basis of gender, class, ethnicity, race and
religion.Theadvocacy programs are organized at different levels i.e., local, sub national
and national levels through awareness building, lobbying and mass communication.
4.2.6 Activating Village Courts, Arbitration Council and Pouro Shalish Board
(Municipal Arbitration Board)
BLAST, ESDO, MLAA and WAVE FOUNDATION are involved in Activating Village
Courts in Bangladesh funder by UNDP. While BNWLA, BS, SUS, ASK, LIGHT HOUSE
and RDRS also involved in promoting village court through providing training to the UP
representatives and functionaries. The MLAA took the initial initiative and a pioneer to
activate Village Courts. It provides training and developed modules for training UP
representatives, Village courts assistant (Union worker) and CBOs. NU has program for
Arbitration councils at Union Parishad and Pourashava levels. They work on issues that
include divorce, maintenance of wife and second marriage.
4.2.7 Investigating, Monitoring and Reporting Human Rights Violations
Investigation on human rights violation is a vital element to effectively protect human

rights. It entails a great deal of information-gathering in order to establish and verify the
facts surrounding an alleged human rights violation. Human rights investigation also
includes gathering information about incidents, observing events, visiting sites,
discussions with government authorities to obtain information and to pursue remedies
and other immediate follow-up. All the selected NGOs conduct regular investigations on
human rights issues and abuses. These are conducted both in-groups and independently
depending on the type of the abuse. Noteworthy issues are violence against women,
religious and ethnic minorities, children and issues that hinder the achievement of the
rights of the people.
4.2.8 Other Services
Victim support Centre

BNWLA, BS, ASK, BRAC maintain victim support centers. The role of victim support
centre is to comfort and assist victims in the aftermath of the crime from which they have
suffered, to advise them of the remedial processes and to guide them through the ensuing
prosecution of the person accused of the crime.
Shelter home
30 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
BNWLA, ASK, RDRS and BS reported to have shelter homes. These homes provide shelter
to women and children rescued from different jails, brothels and trafficking.
OCC
The OCC is developed to provide comprehensive care to survivors of domestic violence,

burn and sexual assault. As a member of Acid Control & Prevention Committee and as an
implementing partner of OCC project, BNWLA is playing a crucial role in this particular
area.
4.3 Coverage by area
Coverage by area of the studied NGOs can be seen from the table presented below.
Organization District Upazila Union

BRAC 61 431 4184
ASK 32 - -
BELA 37 60 -
BNWLA 34 12 06
BLAST 20 (unit office) 11 55
41 (non-district unit)
ESDO 06 21 86
RDRS 08 44 412
MLAA 12 43 282
BS 3 7 36
SUS 5 11 74
LH 5 42 127
NU 08 18 137
WF 12 27 146
* Details of area coverage of each of the organizations are provided in the database
4.4 Partnership and networking
4.4.1 Partnership and cooperation with GO, CSOs and NGOs
All studied CLS providing NGOs mission is to work with the poor and their organizations
to establish and claim their rights as citizens; to build their capacity and confidence to
advance their empowerment; and to promote good governance and improved access to
opportunities, resources and services. This primary strategy is increasingly complemented
by engaging in collective action with other actors to bring about synergies and impacts
which are beyond the capacity of a single organization in order to achieve shared goals.
This includes government agencies at different levels, civil society organizations and
networks, professional and research institutions, the business sector and actors outside
Bangladesh (partners, alliances, institutions) etc.
These NGOs have intimate working relationship with the relevant ministries and
departments of the government of Bangladesh. With the passage of time, they have
become members of a number of Task Forces formed under different ministries.
31 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
The civil society organizations (CSOs) and groups help poor people to exercise their
rights. But such organizations are not competent enough to mobilize people to establish
their rights. Therefore, the selected NGOs involve local level organizations and
community people to advocate the issues of concern. The partners NGOs are directly
engaged with the efforts of studied NGOs to forge alliance with the community for
preventing and protecting the rights of women and children and strengthen the voices
against violence. The selected NGOs provide technical and financial support to the CSOs
to enhance their capacity to protect the rights particularly of women and children.
4.4.2 Panel Lawyers
The CLS providing selected NGOs maintain panel of lawyers outside of their
organizations to assist them on legal issues including court cases. Panel lawyers across
Bangladesh provide legal advice and representation service to the clients. Staffs at the
NGO unit offices coordinate the work of the panel lawyers who are paid a nominal fee to
cover the costs of litigation and effectively provide their services. Selected NGOs organize
coordination meetings and trainings for the panel lawyers to ensure the quality of
services provided. These organizations are supported by consultative groups, comprised
of young professionals, including researchers, lawyers, and human rights advocates.
These NGOs have a close relationship with the Bar Associations at all levels, in particular
through its management committees comprised of leaders of the Bar within each District.
4.4.3 Networks and Membership
Joint action is stronger than individual action for that purpose the studied organizations
join different network. They are members of different alliances both in home and abroad.
They invest resources (time and skills of lawyers and staffs) in these networking for
achieving targeted resultsand policy changes.
In addition to direct bilateral links with many agencies and actors, these NGOs are now
members of a wide range of multilateral alliances and networks. The specific role of
alliances and networks vary but include policy advocacy and, even more critical
implementation advocacy, in solidarity research, knowledge gathering and information
exchange, liaison and co-ordination and capacity building. The selected NGOs also have
partners to fund their CLS programs and projects.
4.5 Knowledge sharing
The selected NGOs undertake a number of activities that serves the purpose of
knowledge sharing. Some of these activities are:
 Seminar/workshop
All the selected organizations organize seminar/workshop about public interest litigation
and advocacy and hold issue-based meetings with NGO representatives, judges, lawyers
32 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
and the media. Seminars/workshops and information campaigns increase women and
children’s knowledge and capacity to solve their problems.
 Publication of newsletters
The selected NGOs produce newsletters regularly and these are readily available.
 Reports
The NGOs also prepare annual reports project completion reports and evaluation reports
etc.
 Website
All the selected NGOs have their own website. Different reports and publications of the
NGOs could be accessed through the webpage.
 Disclosure of important information through the media
The studied NGOs involve the media to enhance awareness of masses through publishing
special pages highlighting the major activities or recommendations of different
professional groups made during various workshops, consultations and roundtables etc.
They also organize special events with the media to disseminate the Land Mark
Judgments rendered by the court.
 Joint event with GO and other legal aid organizations
All the selected NGOs have consultations with the Judiciary and other individuals
involved with the justice system to contribute in the process of delivering justice to the
victims. They also organize joint event with other legal aid organizations that include
seminar, symposium, and theatre etc.
 National and international conferences
National and international conferences are organized by many of the CLS providing
NGOs. These events help in disseminating information and knowledge sharing.
 Training
All the selected NGOs provide trainings on legal and human rights issues with the
objective of creating awareness of rights, building the capacity of different stakeholders as
human rights defenders and empowering citizens on issues of rights, responsibilities and
duties in defense of human rights. They also conduct training workshops for local
community leaders to build legal awareness.
33 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
4.6 Monitoring and follow up mechanism of CLS
Monitoring is a broad term describing the active collection, verification and immediate
use of information to address human rights problems. Human rights monitoring includes
gathering information about incidents, observing events, visiting sites such as places of
detention and refugee camps, discussions with government authorities to obtain
information and to pursue remedies and other immediate follow-up. All NGOs have a
documentation team that keeps the organization updated with humanrights abuses
published in the major national dailies. The work of the documentationunit is to gather
and document relevant information for investigation purposes fromboth the daily papers
and personal and organizational sources/contacts, includinghuman rights defenders.
It has been observed that broadly two types of monitoring systems are used by the NGOs.
The five organizations that have primary focus on providing legal services of various types
have specific monitoring system for CLS activities. These organizations are ASK, BELA,
BNWLA, BLAST and MLAA. They monitor the human rights situation in Bangladesh
through regular media scanning, and through its own direct investigations.
Here it needs to be mentioned that BRAC though have other focus areas of operations, its
CLS operation is the largest in the country in terms of area and population coverage. As
such, BRAC also claims to have an elaborate system of monitoring.
The rest 7 NGOs (ESDO, RDRS, Banchte Shekha, SUS, Light House, Nagorik Uddog, and
Wave Foundation) have various mandates and activities. The CLS is one of them. In many
cases these are project based in nature. These organizations monitoring systems are
project oriented as per needs of the development partners and the project itself.
The monitoring mechanism generally includes monthly report, individual case file
maintained to observe subsequent developments, record keeping in MIS, interviewing the
clients, interviewing the lawyers and other stakeholders like members of the judiciary,
law enforcement agencies, local elected representatives and NGO functionaries.
Monitoring information is recorded by using tools like Monitoring Checklist, Monitoring
Format, Report Card, Documents and Questionnaire etc.
4.7 Strengths and weaknesses of selected NGOs
Organizational strengths are those factors or characteristics of the organization that

could serve as the basis for achieving mission and vision. On the other hand weaknesses
are the factors that realistically may limit the extent or speed with which mission and
vision may be accomplished.
4.7.1 Strengths
BRAC is the largest NGO in the world. BRAC’s Human Rights and Legal Aid Services
(HRLS) Programis the largest NGO-led legal aid program in the world. It has own funding
34 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
source and skilled human resources. ASK has nationwide good reputation. ASK has a well
reputed Trustee Board. It has reputed panel of lawyers. BELA over the years also earned a
good name in taking us issues relating to peoples’ environmental rights. On the other
hand, BLAST is one of the leading legal services organizations in Bangladesh and provides
access to legal aid across the spectrum, from the frontlines of the formal justice system to
the apex court. BNWLA promotes the rights and status of women lawyers alongside
fighting for access to justice for all women and children particularly for the most
disadvantaged women and children in Bangladesh. ESDO has a strong network and
coordination with district legal aid committee, trained staff on legal aid. It has also a good
rapport with the legal Aid providing department and law enforcement agencies. RDRS
has women rights unit. The main activity of this unit is to protect women Rights and to
reduce the violence against women and girls. ‘Gender’ is a cross cutting issue in RDRS
Bangladesh. RDRS provide training and orientation. More than 85% program participants
are female. RehabilitationCenter and Federation of RDRS provide vulnerable women and
girls awareness raising and skill development training. The MLAA has developed the
alternative mechanism for dispute resolution through reformed shalish popularly known
Madaripur Mediation Model (MMM) which has proved to be effective to address family
disputes, community disputes, land disputes and minor criminal disputes in the local
level. MLAA has Long experience for striving to strengthen the UP judicial system and
CLS which is an initiative to promote justice at the grass root level. Its training cell is well
equipped to transfer knowledge and skills to the local community and other
organizations. Banchte Sekha can arrange awareness campaign with their own initiatives
using their existing physical infrastructure. Banchte Sekha has good rapport and
relationship with district administration. Banchte Sekha maintain network with national
level organizations. SUS has locally recruited experienced staff. The commitment of these
staff is a great strength of SUS. Light House has experienced and skilled staff. Alliance and
networking are their other strength. Light house has infrastructure and logistics support
to carry out their operations. Good rapport with government agencies is also a
noteworthy strength of Light House. Nagorik Uddoyag also has skilled workforce and it
follows investigative approach for establishing the rights of the marginalized community.
WAVE Foundation has a good experience in Local justice and governance. It has been
and currently also engaged with activation and operationalization of Village Courts.
WAVE Foundation has a strong CBO network called Loak Morcha.
4.7.2 Weaknesses
The NGOs are generally established to provide services particularly to the poor and the
marginalized. But resources are needed to provide these services. In Bangladesh, the
overwhelming majority of the NGOs rely upon funds received from foreign sources. This
dependence to a great extent determines the performances, successes and failures of
these organizations. This also causes them to take up project approach instead of
program approach. The key strengths and weaknesses of the studied organizations are
summarized and presented in the matrix given below.
35 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Organization Key Strengths Weaknesses
BRAC Positive image, largest NGO in Too diverse organization,
the world, largest outreach CLS BRAC’s all purpose approach
program in the country, own
funding source, skilled human
resources
ASK Nationwide good reputation, well Complete dependence on
reputed Trustee Board, reputed development assistance,
panel of lawyers, confidence of changing priorities of the
the judiciary development partners
BELA Reputation earned over the years, Lack of own resources, policy
Confidence of the common change of the government
people
BNWLA Specialization in its field of Donor dependence
operation, achievements and
reputation
BLAST Nationwide good reputation, well Donor dependence
reputed Trustee Board, reputed
panel of lawyers, confidence of
the judiciary, good relation with
government agencies
ESDO Strong network and coordination Donor dependence
with district legal aid committee,
trained staff on Legal Aid), good
rapport with the legal Aid
providing department and law
enforcement agencies.
RDRS Women rights unit, Donor dependence
RehabilitationCenter, Federation
MLAA MLAA developed the alternative Donor dependence
mechanism for dispute resolution
through reformed shalish
effective to address family
disputes, community disputes,
land disputes and minor criminal
disputes in local level.
Long experience and skills in CLS.
Skilled human resources

Banchte Infrastructure , Experience to Donor dependence
Sekha work in various activities,
Organizational Image &
credibility , Community Activism,
36 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Organization Key Strengths Weaknesses
Democratization of Community
leadership
SUS Experience & Commitment of Donor dependence
Staff, Locally recruited Staff,
Leadership
Light House Experience, skilled staff, Alliance, Donor dependence
Networking,
Nagorik Skilled workforce Donor dependence
Uddyag
Investigative approach to the
rights of marginalized community
WAVE Experience in Local justice and Donor dependence
Foundation Governance Field , Activation and
operationalization of Village
Courts, CBO, Loak Morcha,
Partners
37 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Chapter 5:
Organization and Management of NGOs
5.1 Organization and management
It revealed that all the studied organizations are guided by their organizational
constitutions and policies, such as, Human Resources, Gender, and Finance policies. In
overwhelming cases there is a general body/trustee boards and the general body elects
the executive committee (EC). The EC provides policy guidelines. A CEO runs the day to
day operations and functions of the organizations. The CLS activities of the selected
NGOs are run with the financial assistance of various development partners. As such, for
operational purpose of those programs and projects these NGOs are also accountable to
them.Existence of financial management system with the provision and practice of both
internal and external auditing indicate that there are mechanisms to ensure financial
transparency and accountability.
5.2 Legal status
All selected NGOs are registered with the NGO Affairs Bureau under Foreign Donation
Regulation Ordinance, 1978. ASK, BELA, BNWLA, BLAST, Banchte Sekha, Nagorik
Uddyug, and WAVE Foundation are also registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock
Companies and Firmsunder Societies Registration Act, 1860. BNWLA is also registered
with the Women Affairs Department. Department of Social Services incorporated NGOs
are ESDO, MLAA, Banchte Sekha, SUS, Light House, and WAVE Foundation. Banchte
Sekha& SUS are also registered with Micro Credit Regulatory Authority.
Legal Status of selected NGOs
Registration No. of
Organizations
Registration of Joint Stock Companies and Firms 7
(ASK,BELA,BNWLA,BLAST, Banchte Sekha, Nagorik
Uddyug, WAVE)
NGO Affairs Bureau (All NGOs) 13
Women Affairs Department (BNWLA) 01
Department of Social Services (ESDO,MLAA, Banchte Sekha, 06
SUS, Light House, WAVE)
Micro Credit Regulatory Authority (Banchte Sekha & SUS) 02
38 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
5.3 Resources/Funding sources
All the studied NGOs are solely dependent on external funding for running their
functions and operations. Only BRAC, as reported, now has the ability to fund about 90%
of its operations. The status of funding sources of the selected NGOs can be seen from the
matrix furnished below.
Funding Sources of the NGOs
Name of the Funding Source

NGO
BRAC AusAid, UKAid, BRAC
ASK OXFAM-NOVIB, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Danida, NETZ-Germany
BELA NOVIB, Danida, IUCN, MJF
BNWLA Government of Bangladesh, SIDA, Save the Children International, Plan
Bangladesh, USAID, European Commission, MJF, Group Development,
France, IOM, The Asia Foundation, European Commission
BLAST OXFAM-NOVIB, UNDP, Danida, MGH Group Bangladesh

ESDO SDF- WB, European Union, UNDP, IOM, HEKS –Switzerland, GiZ,
DANIDA, The Asia Foundation, Action Aid Bangladesh, ARD Inc.,
Department of Women Affairs- GoB, USAID Bangladesh
RDRS The royal nether lands Embassy, Finn Church Aid , RDRS core fund,
Norwegian Church Aid, Canadian Development Agency (CIDA)
MLAA UNDP, EU, MJF, MoLGRDC, UNDP, EU, Danish Embassy, GIZ
Banchte Sekha Danida, Norwegian Embassy, The Asia Foundation, The British Council,
AED, DANIDA PSU- HRGG, MJF, Oxfam-GB, LilianeFond’s, World Fish
Centre, IDEA-Italy, CARE Bangladesh, CIDA
SUS ASK, MJF, Action Aid Bangladesh, Swedish Support group, The
Swallows India Bangladesh, MJF , SUPRO National committee, Step
Towards Development (STD)
Light House Family Health International, GiZ, BLAST, MJF, ASF, UNICEF
Nagorik Uddyag UNDP Bangladesh, DANIDA, The Asia Foundation, Action Aid
Bangladesh, ARD Inc., USAID
WAVE Action Aid Bangladesh, The Asia Foundation, ARD Inc./USAID,
Foundation DANIDA, UNDP Bangladesh ,Own initiation
39 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
5.4 Human resources
Collected data and information on human resources of the studied NGOs are presented in the
table furnished below.
Human Resources with specialization
Types BRAC ASK BELA BNWLA BLAST ESDO RDRS MLAA BS SUS LH NU WF
Legal Aid 455 18 6 80 52 239 6 8 26 2 268 1 143

Local level justice 443 12 6 78 54 19 0 531 22 7 38 84 0
(Mediation, VC,
AC)
Public interest 2 4 6 15 4 12 14
litigation
Human rights 462 8 5 236 49 4 53 55 3 84
Gender 462 9 4 236 13 1 12 4 191 1

Environmental - 6 5 14 1
justice
Advocacy 462 5 9 8 5 150 2 20 2 44 3 12
Research - 12 8 2 1 1 8 5 6
Financial 2 7 8 17 31 104 2 25 64 2 9 6 76
Management
Monitoring and 45 3 3 15 12 20 2 12 4 5 7 5 16
Evaluation
Capacity building 9 10 19 8 58 8 14 8 6 20 19 10
5.5 Transparency and accountability
Transparency and accountability is all about the openness of theorganization's work and
participation by allstakeholders in the decision makingprocesses at all stages. These
concepts have recently becomeprominent as a result of many internal andexternal
factors.Internally, NGOs have realized theimportance of internal accountability becauseit
provides a learning platform for promotingresponsive governance, effective and efficient
management of resources as well as peopleparticipation in decision making processes.
Externally, NGOs have to follow government rules and regulations and guidelines of
funding partners/sources.
40 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
It has been reported that all the organizations are guided by their organizational
constitutions and policies, such as, Human Resource Policy, Gender Policy, and Financial
Policy etc. All these organizations have governing bodies that oversees their functions
and operations.
The CLS activities of the selected NGOs are run with the financial assistance of various
development partners. As such, for operational purpose of those programs and projects
these NGOs are also accountable to them. There is existence of financial management
system with the provision and practice of both internal and external auditing.
However, it is also observed that all the selected NGOs are only accountable to their
governing and general body members. The common people have little information
especially about their financial management.
Their CLS functions and operations are driven by donors’ priorities. Local populations
have very little or no say on them. Leadership is perpetual in nature. In overwhelming
cases, these NGOs are run by the people who played the pioneering role in establishing
them.
Succession planning is a critical leadership tool for ensuring organizational growth. One
of the greatest challenges facing many organizations in the 21st century is how to affect a
well designed change of leadership while maintaining organizational continuity and
meeting or exceeding organizational goals. It is observed that there is an absence of
visible leadership succession plan in the studied NGOs.
41 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Chapter 6:
Conclusions and Way Forward
6.0 Conclusions
Over the years, the NGOs selected for the purpose of the current study have made
significant contribution in providing community legal services to a larger section of the
country’s population. The services offered are wide ranging from indigenous to formal
legal means. It also encompasses both rural and urban areas. These organizations works
individually in their respective areas and at the same time build alliances and establish
network to carry forward these services. The selected NGOs also assist the government
agencies in establishing rights and justices in the country.
Investigation revealed that all these organizations are legal entities as are registered
under different authorities of the government. Most of them have elaborate
administrative apparatus and run under different certain organization approved policies
and guidelines. However, all of them for meeting expenses for the services offered by
them are solely dependent on development partners’ assistances. As mentioned earlier,
these organizations are offering wide ranging services to a large section of the population.
But sill more geographical areas need to be covered and the access of CLS required to be
ensured for the increasing number of the population of the county.
In view of the above, the following suggestions and recommendations are made as way
forward. It is perceived that these will ensure wider geographical coverage, better services
increased access to community legal services especially to the poor and the marginalized.
6.1 Way Forward
Extend Coverage by area and population
Area coverage of CLS should be increased. This will provide more access to increasing
number of the population to CLS. For this purpose three prong approaches may be
adopted:
 Those NGOs (ASK, BLAST, BELA, BLWLA etc.) which also deals with public
interest litigation their organizational presence in different districts should be
extended. This will help common people to seek their services more easily.
 Other NGOs which are regional and local in nature, their CLS services should
be extended to other areas. This will take CLS services closer to the people and
more people could be covered.
42 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
 Village Court should be activated in more Unions in the country. For this
purpose, the NGOs that have expertise in this particular area should be used to
increase the Gram Adalat activation process in increasing number of Unions.
This will also help in taking CLS services to the doorsteps of the rural masses
and thereby increase the area and population coverage of CLS.
Build Partnership/alliances/networks
To forge partnership and build alliance a National CLS Service Providers Forum may be
formed with the membership of the CLS service provider organizations. This will
strengthen the process of CLS, develop common ground and working relationship with
concerned agencies. This will also help the process of knowledge sharing among the
forum members. Partnership and alliance should also be further strengthened with the
lawyers’ community and associations through out the country for their increased support
and active participation in the CLS process.
In the present day world, media of all forms and types plays an important role in
protecting rights of the citizens. At the same time, it also immensely helps in building
awareness of the common people regarding their legal rights. As such, partnership and
networks should be developed with the CLS providing NGOs and the media for
promoting the legal cause of the people.
Establish Knowledge sharing mechanisms
For knowledge sharing, there should be increased publications of good practices and
learning by different CLS providing NGOs. Besides, study tours to different NGOs project
areas should be organized to help the learning process. Seminars, workshops etc. should
be organized both at the local, regional and national level for awareness development and
knowledge sharing. Publication of newsletter on CLS will help in knowledge sharing as
well. This will also help in enlisting support from the wider sections of the population on
CLS.
Build Capacity
A comprehensive capacity need assessment should be conducted in the area of CLS of

selected organizations. This will help in identifying capacity gaps in specific areas and
specific organizations. Based on the findings, capacity building initiatives should be taken
to further develop human resources, system, technology related to CLS.
43 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Annex1:
Fact Sheets
44 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
List of Organizations
1. Ain-O-Salish Kendra (ASK) - Dhaka
2. Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) - Dhaka
3. Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) -Dhaka
4. Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) -Dhaka
5. Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA) - Madaripur
6. Nagorik Udyog - Dhaka
7. Banchte Sekha - Jessore
8. Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Human Rights

and Legal Services Division - Dhaka
9. Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Society (RDRS) - Rangpur
10. Lighthouse - Bogra
11. Wave Foundation - Dhaka
12. Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO)- Dhaka
13. Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS) - Netrokona
45 | P a g e PMID
Services Project

FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)
A. Basic Information
1. Name of the Organization : Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)
2. Address : 7/17 Block-B, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207
3. Year of Establishment : 1986
4. Telephone : 8126047
5. E-mail : ask@citechco.net
6. Fax : 8126045
7. Name of Executive : Sultana Kamal

Director
8. Contact person : Shah Newaz, Director, Administration and

Programme Support
Cell phone no: 01713064104
46 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
9. Type of organization
Sl. Type of Registration Authority Year of Registration

No. Organization Registration Number
1 Non-Profit Trust Registrar of Joint Stock 1986 No: S-1151/11
Companies and Firms under
Societies Registration Act, 1860
NGO Affairs Bureau under 1993 721

Foreign Donation Regulation
Ordinance, 1978
B. Program on CLS
10. Goals and objectives of the organization
Sl. No. Mission Vision Goals Objectives

1 To protect and promote A society established Overall Specific
human rights of the based on the objective: objective(s):
disempowered/disadvantage principles of human Human SO1: By 2016,
d people through rights, gender Rights HR standards
community activism & social equality, equity, situation in and mechanisms
mobilization, capacity secularism, rule of Bangladesh are increasingly
building, legal services, law, social justice significantly applied by the
advocacy and policy and democracy improved wider civil
intervention by using rights society.
based approach that SO2: By 2016,
encompasses the principles access to justice
of human rights, equality, for
equity, secularism, rule of disempowered
law, social justice and people is
democracy enhanced.
SO3: By 2016,
the
accountability of
the state to
ensure HR
standards is
enhanced.
SO4: By 2016,
the rights of
working
children are
promoted.
47 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
C. Institutional Capacity
11. Human resources (What resources are available for your CLS and advocacy work?
(E.g. number of key staff, budgets, highly skilled staff, technical expertise in
specialized areas such as legal aid, public interest litigation, human rights, gender,
environmental justice, research, advocacy etc.)
Number of staff
No. of staff Male Female Total
67 155 222
Category / types of professional staff

Sl Areas of specialization Permanent Temporary
Male Female Total Male Female Total
1. Legal Aid 10 7 17 1 0 1
2. Mediation 0 12 12 0 0 0
3. Public interest litigation 2 2 4 0 0 0
4. Human rights 4 3 7 1 0 0
5. Gender 5 4 9 0 0 0
6. Advocacy 2 3 5 0 0 0
7. Financial Management 4 3 7 0 0 0
8. Monitoring and 1 2 3 0 0 0
Evaluation
9. Capacity building 4 6 10 0 0 0
10. Other (Mention) 3 13 16 0 0 0
Child Rights
11. Psycho-social 0 5 5 0 0 0
Counseling
Number of supporting staff (Including Education cum Liaison Officer)

Sl. No. of supporting staff Male Female Total
1. 18 83 101
12. Training received by the Professional Staff: (for the period: 2007 - 2011)
Sl Title of course Category of No of Organizing Sponsoring Duration
Staff staff agency Agency
1. TOT on facilitation Skill Mid and 89 ASK ASK 6 days

junior level
2. Orientation session on Entry level 11 ASK ASK 2 days
ASK Staff
3. TOT on Fact finding Mid level 18 ASK ASK
4. Training on strong Govt. Mid level 1
national convention
48 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
5. National seminar on Mid level 1

Aborigine peoples
occupational rights for
AIB
6. Training on political Junior level 1
empowerment of women
7. TOT on Documentation Mid level 23 ASK HURIDOCS 3 days
8. Training on War crime Junior level 2
9. Training on transactional Mid level 67 ASK ASK 10 days
Analysis
10. International Technology Junior level 1
of participation (TOP)
basic Training of Trainers
11. Workshop on Gender Mid level 1
responsive budget
12. The world wide enhance 1
of social compliance
* Besides, many senior and mid management staff members have professional
degree/diplomas from reputed universities/institutions from home and abroad.
13. Policy
Sl. No. Particular Yes No
1. HR Policy (Grievance ) √
2. Gender Strategy & Guideline √
3. Financial Management Policy √
4. Procurement policy √
5. Administrative policy √
6. Training Module & Manual and √
Curriculum
7. Others (specify) Child Policy √
14. List of major assets and logistics
Sl. No Item Number
1. Office (own/rented) Own: Rented:1

2. Branch office Own: Rented:8 *
3. Training Centre Own: Rented:
4. Accommodation capacity of Training Centre N/A
5. Vehicle 2
6. IT Server:1, Computer: 75,
Laptop: 11, Printer:42, Scanner:3
Multi-media Projector: 3
49 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)
1. Name of the Organization : Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association
(BELA)
2. Address : House # 15A (4th Floor), Road # 03, Dhanmondi,
Dhaka 1205
4. Telephone : +880 2 8614283, 8618706
5. E-mail : bela@bangla.net
6. Fax : +880 2 8612957
7. Name of Executive : Syeda Rizwana Hasan

Director
8. Contact person : +8801711526066

Cell phone no:
50 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl. Type of Organization Registration Year of Registration

No. Authority Registration Number
9.1 Non-Profit Organization NGO Bureau 1993 713
Joint Stock 1992 Act XXI of 1860

Companies of no S1457 (17)92
Bangladesh
B. Program on CLS
10. Goals and objectives of the organization:
10.1 − Ensuring Promoting − Believes The objective of
environmental environmental justice in and BELA is to promote
protection through follows a environmental
due process of law. rights justice and
− Upholding the rights based contribute towards
of the poor and the approach the development of
women to their to not a sound
environmental only the environmental
entitlements environm jurisprudence.
− Anthropocentric ent but
environmentalism developm
that is not upholding ent in
conservation without general;
consideration of the − Believes
natural resource in and
dependent poor upholds
− Community principles
ownership and of equity;
management of and
natural resources in a − Strives to
just, equitable and attain
gender sensitive way gender
rights and
equity.
51 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Number of staff
24 13 37

Sl Areas of Permanent Temporary
specialization Male Female Total Male Female Total
1. Legal Aid 4 2 6
2. Mediation 5 1 6
3. Public interest 2 4 6
litigation
4. Human rights 2 3 5
5. Gender 1 3 4
6. Environmental justice 2 4 6
7. Advocacy 4 5 9
8. Research 11 1 12
9. Financial Management 4 4 8
10. Monitoring and 1 2 3
Evaluation
Number of supporting staff

1. 11 2 13
12. Training received by the Professional Staff:
Sl Title of course Category of Staff No of Organizing Sponsoring Duration
staff agency Agency
1. Environment Legal Aid, 29 BELA MJF, Inter-Peres-

and Mediation, Public Canada, 6 days
Environmental Interest Oxfam Novib
Law Litigation,
Environmental
Justice, Advocacy
& Research
2. PIL Public Interest 3 M.C Mehta E-Law World 7 days
Litigation, Foundation, wide
Environmental New Delhi,
Justice India
3. Gender Legal Aid, 12 Oxfam Novib Oxfam Novib 3 days
Mainstreaming Mediation,
Research
52 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
staff agency Agency
4. RTI (Right to Legal Aid, 5 Information Information 2 days

Information) Mediation, Commission, Commission,
Training Research Manusher Manusher Jonno
Jonno Foundation
Foundation
5. Environment Legal Aid, 29 BELA Manusher Jonno 2 days
and Climate Mediation, Foundation
Change Research
6. Training on Financial 1 Manusher Manusher Jonno 4 days
Financial Management Jonno Foundation
Management Foundation
7. Environmental Public Interest 2 22 days
Leadership Litigation
Program (ELP)
8. Training on Monitoring & 2 Manusher Manusher Jonno 3 days
Monitoring & Evaluation Jonno Foundation
Evaluation Foundation
9. Training on Advocacy 2 IDDPA Manusher Jonno 3 days
Advocacy Foundation
13. Policy
1. HR Policy (Grievance ) Being developed

2. Gender Strategy & Guideline 
3. Financial Management Policy 
4. Procurement policy 
5. Administrative policy 
6. Training Module & Manual and Curriculum 
7. Others (specify) Being developed of

Field Inspection
and Legal Service
53 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl. No Item Number
1. Office (own/rented)  Rented:

2. Branch office  Rented:
3. Training Centre N/A
4. Accommodation capacity of Training Centre N/A
5. Vehicle 2
6. IT Desktop Computers 20 connected to
broadband
7 laser printers
1 colour printer
3 photocopiers
54 | P a g e PMID
Services Project

FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST)
1. Name of the Organization : Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST)
2. Address : YMCA Development Center , 1/1 Pioneer Road,
Kakrail, Dhaka 1000
4. Telephone : 9349125 – 6; 8313689
5. E-mail : mail@blast.org.bd
6. Fax : 9347107
7. Name of Executive : Currently no Executive Director/ But full time
Director Honorary Director
Ms. Sara Hossain, Bar at Law
8. Contact person : Ms. Sara Hossain

Cell phone no: 1713 128

1. Non profit company Registrar of Joint 29 May 1993, CTO 311
Company limited by Stock Companies (23)/93
guarantee and established and Firms
under the Companies Act
2. Others (please specify) NGO Affairs 19 December 1993 no 786
Bureau under the and renewed to
Prime Minister’s date
Secretariat
B. Program on CLS
Sl. Mission Vision Goals Objectives

No.
10.1 BLAST’s BLAST envisions a Poverty and In view of the vision and mission
mission is to society based on inequality statement, the specific
make the legal the rule of law in reduced and objectives of BLAST are
system which every increased access To provide free legal aid and
accessible to individual to justice for to undertake public interest
all, in particularly the socially excluded, litigation and advocacy
particular the poor, the and marginalised activities to ensure that
poor and the marginalized and women, men and opportunities for securing
55 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
No.
marginalized. excluded, in children. justice are not denied to any
particular women, person for any reason;
as well as children, Availability of To administer a trust fund
peoples with legal services for for establishing and
disabilities, increased access maintaining legal aid and
indigenous peoples to justice for services units supported by
(Adibashis) and women, men and the grants from the Trust;
Dalits have access children living in To establish legal
to justice and their social exclusion aid/assistance and human
human rights are or facing rights protection units in the
respected and discrimination bar associations and in
protected different localities of the
country, including rural
areas;
To conduct special training
programmes through which
relevant skills and expertise
can be imparted to lawyers,
activists and others;
To coordinate the activities
of the units with other
organizations, including
NGOs working in related
fields;
To publish original research
articles and reports about
matters useful to lawyers;
To promote improved legal
education, including
awareness of responsibility
for providing legal aid to
disadvantaged persons, and
to promote, establish and
maintain national
institutions for legal
education;
To organize seminars,
symposiums and extension
lectures on various law
subjects for advocates,
teachers, law students, and
To promote participation in
international conferences,
workshops, and training and
educational programmes.
56 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
11. Human resources
284 76 208 286

1. Legal Aid 33 19 52
2. Mediation 39 15 54
litigation
4. Advocacy 1 4 5
5. Financial Management 24 4 28 1 (AVCB) 2 (AVCB) 3

6. Monitoring and 7 1 8 3 1 (AVCB) 4(AVCB)
Evaluation (AVCB)
(AVCB Training)
8. Other (Mention) 74 39 113 74 39 113
AVCB PC, DC, Field
Workers/Court
Assistant
9. Administration 2 2 4
10. Programme Support 35 0 35 13 0 13
Staff (AVCB)

1 Programme Support Staff 35 0 35
57 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
12. Training received by the Professional Staff: ( information given for the period 2009 t0
2011)
staff agency Agency
1. Environmental Staff Lawyer 2 BELA BLAST 3-5 days

Law and Land
Law
2. Project Coordinator 1 Prothom Alo BLAST Day long
Monitoring and (Investigation,
Evaluation for M&E)
NGO’s and the
Development
Sector
3. Land Survey Staff Lawyer 1 Association for BLAST 3 days
Land Reform
4. “Men, Health Staff and 2 James P Grant BLAST Day long
and Gender Research Lawyer School of
Equity in Public Health
Bangladesh” at BRAC
University
5. South Asian DD (Legal), 2 SANGAT, a SANGAT, a One
Feminist Assistant South Asian South Asian month
Capacity Coordinator Network Network
Building (Mediation )
Course on
Gender,
Sustainable
Livelihoods,
Human Rights
and Peace
6. Human Rights Unit Coordinator 1 Diplomacy Diplomacy 6 days
Advocacy Training Training
Training and Programme, Programme,
Business Human Rights Human Rights
Working Working
Group, Group,
Business Watch Business Watch
7. Police Reforms Unit Coordinator 1 Commonwealth Commonwealth 5 days
Human Rights Human Rights
Initiative Initiative
8. Working with Junior Staff 1 organised by BLAST Day long
Victims Lawyer the Victim
Support Centre,
Dhaka
58 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
staff agency Agency
9. Right to Coordinator 3 Nagorik BLAST 3-5 days

Information (Communications Uddyog
(RTI) & Advocacy;
Investigation and
M&E; Admin
Officer)
10. ADR Assistant 2 Judicial BLAST Day long
Coordinator Administrative
(Mediation) and Training
Junior Staff Institute (JATI),
Lawyer the South Asian
Institute of
Advanced Legal
and Human
Rights Studies
(SAILS) and
The Loyola Law
School Center
For Conflict
Resolution, Los
Angeles
11. Economic, Researcher, 2 Asian Institute BLAST 7days
Social and Junior Staff for Human
Cultural Rights Lawyer Rights (AIHR)
and (ASK)
12. Sexuality, Unit Coordinator 1 CREA (Creating Diakonia 10 days
Gender and Resources for
Rights Institute Education and
held at Turkey, Action) of New
Istanbul Delhi/New
York.
13. Gender Unit 25 BLAST BLAST 3days
Training Coordinators and
HO Senior Staff
14. EEE-NGO-ICT AD (Admin); 3 DNet DNet 4days
Training- Deputy
Workshop Coordinator (IT);
Programme
Assistant
15. Human Rights M & E Officer 2 NHRC NHRC 2days
Training for
Dhaka based
Human Rights
Defenders
59 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
13. Policy
Sl. Particular Yes No
No.
1. HR Policy (Grievance ) Yes,

Incorporated in the Service Rules
2. Gender Strategy & Guideline Gender Policy, Sexual Harassment Policy
3. Financial Management Policy Yes, Financial Manual

4. Procurement policy Yes, Included in the Financial Manual
5. Administrative policy No, but Office Manual is to be prepared
6. Training Module & Manual and Module: Gender training,
Curriculum Legal Handbook for Workers;
Let’s Learn the Law;
7. Others (specify) Child Protection Policy (approved by Board
but not yet disseminated)
60 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl. No Item Number

1. Office (own/rented) Own: Rented: 1
2. Branch office Own: Rented: 31
3. Vehicle Own: 3
4. IT at HO and Unit level  Data base server (DELL 1600SG)
 Mail (Gateway) Server using LINUX
FEDOURA Core
 64 KBPS dedicated internet connection
 Application Server
 Proxy Server
 Domain (DHCP) server
 CISCO Catalyst 2950T Switch
 DELL Power Edge 2300 Switch
 SDSL Modem (KT and DASAN)
 Number of PCs – 175 + 20
 Printers (Laser Jet) - 36
 Digital e-studio (Toshiba E16)
 Scanner (Flat bed) - 1
 Notebook Computer-3
 Multimedia Projector – 2
 OHP – 26
 Digital Camera-4
 Video Camera – 1
 Digital Public Address System (4
Channels)
 UPS – 175
 Panasonic IP based Hybrid PABX
 PABX call register software
 Cannon laser Fax Machine
5. Furniture & Fixture Table, Chairs, Fan, ACs,
6. Office Equipment Phone, Fax etc.
61 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
FACT SHEET
Name of organization: Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA)
A. Basic Information about the Organization
1. Name of the Organization : Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association
(BNWLA)
2. Address : Monico Mina Tower ( 2nd to 9th floor) , 48/3 West
Agargoan, Dhaka, Bangladesh
4. Telephone : 880-2-8112858, 8125866, 9143293
5. E-mail : bnwla@hrcmail.net
6. Fax : 880-2-8125866
7. Name of Executive : Advocate Salma Ali

Director
8. Contact person : Advocate Salma Ali, 01711595203, 01819226212√

Cell phone no:

9.1 Non profit organization Registered under 1982 S-828
the authority of
Joint Stock
Company & Firms
(Under Societies
Registration Act
XXI of 1860);
Registered under 1991 506
the authority of
NGO Affairs
Bureau
(Under Foreign
Donation
Regulation
Ordinance # 46 of 1990 MBP/Dhaka/21st/90
1978)
Registered under
the authority of
Women Affairs
Department
62 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
B. Program on CLS
10.1 Bangladesh National To ensure rule of law Ensure  Organize
Woman Lawyers and gender equality women and women to
Association [BNWLA] is by accountable, children develop their
a human rights transparent rights & social status in the
organization engaging democratic practice of justice. community.
themselves with state to respect  Adopt
proactive individuals and Human Rights and measures to
institutions for Fundamental rights. remove all
establishing rule of law forms of
and gender equality by discrimination
constant advocacy [i.e. and
lobbying for reform of law harassment
/policy, action against women
research/sensitization & children
programs], capacity  Improve
building specially women domestic,
lawyers’, catering legal social, legal and
services, delivering economic
comprehensive status of
psychosocial package women &
services, building social children.
safety net & ensuring  Create equal
good governance through opportunities
democratic practices & and establish
also addressing women & equal rights for
children in conflicts (i.e. every women
disasters-both political and children in
and natural & Bangladesh.
discriminatory laws etc).  Ensure justice
for all and
advocate
combating
violence
against women
& children.
63 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
11. Human resources
Number of staff
236 28 208 236

1. Legal Aid 2 78 80 0 0 0
2. Mediation 0 78 78 0 0 0
3. Public interest 0 15 15 0 0
litigation 0
4. Human rights 28 208 236 0 0 0
5. Gender 28 208 236 0 0 0
6. Environmental justice 0 5 5 0 0 0
7. Advocacy 3 5 8 0 0 0
8. Research 3 5 8 0 0 0
10. Monitoring and 3 12 15 0 0 0

Evaluation
12. Other (Mention) 10 23 33 0 0 0

2. 12 4 8 12
64 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
12. Policy
Curriculum
7. Others (specify) Se xual Harassments √
Prevention and Protection Policy
Program Operation Guideline
Sl. No Item Number
1. Office (own/rented) Own: 2 Rented: 40

3. Training Centre Own: Rented: 1
4. Accommodation capacity of Training Centre None
5. Vehicle Own : 5, Rented :0
6. IT Own : 275 computers
65 | P a g e PMID
Services Project

FACT SHEET
Name of Organization: Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA).
1. Name of the Organization : Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA).
2. Address : Hamid Akhond Sarak

New Town, Post Box-09
Madaripur-7900
3. Year of Establishment 1978
4. Telephone : 0661-61518, 62424
5. E-mail : mlaa@bangla.net
6. Fax : 0661-61186
7. Name of Executive : Fazlul Huq

Director
8. Contact person : Khan Md. Shahid

9.1 Non-Profit Trust a) Dept. of Social 1989 Mada-99
Welfare 1981 55
b) NGO Affairs Bureau
B. Program on CLS

No.
10.1 MLAA will strive to A just society Improved quality  Accessing justice through
ensure access to where rule of of life of the effective functioning of
justice and legal law and human disadvantaged informal justice processes
rights for all people rights is upheld. people through of the Village Court,
irrespective of sex, establishing their Arbitration Council and
cast, creed, religion, human, legal and MLAA's Mediation Model
sexual orientation, women rights, for for poor, marginalised
race and those peaceful and vulnerable people.
affected by coexistence  Legal rights of majority of
66 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
HIV/AIDs through justice seekers are
the informal justice established in the formal
processes and justice system through
formal justice MLAA'a legal aid services.
system.  A significant number of
women are empowered
to uphold their rights and
effectively participate in
the informal justice
mechanisms.
 MLAA maximises its
resources and contributes
to its budget to continue
its services for the poor,
marginalised and
deprived people.
 MLAA has an expert task-
force of managers and
field staff supported by
updated organisational
policies, systems and
logistics ensuring
delivery of quality
services.
11. Human resources
Number of staff
Name of Project Male Female Total
Access to Justice & Human Rights 137 187 224

Phase-III
Enhancing opportunities to justice at 22 58 80
rural level
Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh 175 143 318
Improvement of the real situation of 4 1 5
overcrowding in prisons in Bangladesh
Total : 338 389 627

1. Legal Aid 04 04 08 - - -
2. Local level justice 261 270 531 - - -
(Mediation, VC, AC)
3. Human rights 02 02 04 - - -
4. Gender 01 - 01 - - -
67 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
5. Advocacy 01 01 02 - - -
6. Financial Management 20 05 25 - - -
7. Monitoring and 11 1 12 - - -
Evaluation
8. Capacity building 10 4 14 - - -
9. Other (Mention) 04 01 05
Para Legal

1. 25 17 8 25

1. Training workshop on Senior 01 Openspace, 5 days
Documentation for Management Benson Town,
NGOs Bangalore, India
2. Women’s property Senior 01 NGO Small June 18-21,
and Inheritance Management Grants program- 2002
Rights. USAID,
Washington, NY,
USA.
3. Globalization Impact Senior 01 FORUM-ASIA September
on the social, cultural Management Asian forum for 28 to
and economical human rights and 2nd October,
rights of the Marginal development 2001
Groups Bangkok,
Thailand
4. Participatory Senior 01 Jointly organized May 7-12,
Planning Monitoring Management by CCDB-HOPE 2001
& Evaluation Dhaka and 6 days
SEARCH,
Banglore, India
5. Program on Senior 01 Socio Legal Aid 3rd Feb’ 96
Development Management Research and to
Management for Training Center, 11th Feb’ 96
NGO Executives Calcutta, India. 9 Days
6. Program for Senior 02 Asian Institute of 2nd to 27th
Development Management Management, May’ 94
Managers (PDM) Lopex 25 Days
Foundation,
Manila,
Philippines.
68 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
7. Project Planning, Senior 03 Technical 14th to 24th
Monitoring & Management Assistance for Nov’ 93
Evaluation Rural 11 Days
Development
(TARD), Dhaka
8. Objectives oriented Senior 06 ZOOP, 14th to 18th
Project Planning Management Coordintor Unit, March’ 93
(Advance Course) GTZ, PAS, 5 Days.
Gulshan, Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
9. Objectives Oriented Senior 06 ZOOP, 23rd to
Project Planning Management Coordintor Unit, 27th May
(Basic Course) GTZ, PAS, ’92
Gulshan, Dhaka, 5 Days.
Bangladesh.
10. Institutional self- Senior 02 Micro Industries 23rd Nov
sufficiency for Non- Management Development to 28th
Governmental (NGO) Assistance Society Dec ’91
(MIDAS), Dhaka, 36 Days
Sponsored by The
Asia Foundation.
11. Accounting Senior 05 Bangladesh 11th Feb to
Information for Management & Management 30th March
Management Med. leval Development ‘89
Planning & Control Centre 40 days
(BMDC),Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
12. Workshop on Senior 01 ACFOD 11th June to
Participatory and Management THAILAND 25 June
Sustainable Society 1991
13. International Senior 01 FLAG Human 23rd Sept.
Training Program on Management Rights to 25th Oct
Human Rights & Foundation, 1991
Legal Aid. Manila,
Philippines
14. Training Workshop Senior 01 Institute of Social 16th Sept.
on Development, Law Management Studies (ISS) P.O. to 04th
& Social Justice Box-90773, 2509 Nov.
(Human Rights LS, 1993
Related Course) The Hague
The Netherlands.
15. International Human Senior 03 Canadian Human 11-30 June
Rights Training Management Rights 2000
Program Foundation,
Montreal, Canada.
69 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
16. Workshops on Senior 02 FORUM ASIA, January
Human Rights Management Bangkok, 18-20,
Defenders Thailand 2009
17. Asian Human Rights Senior 02 Faculty of Social From Asia 22 Days
Training and Study Management Science, October
Session Chualalongkorn 22nd to
University, 11th
Bangkok, November
Thailand 2000
&
Asian Forum on
Human Rights &
Development
(Forum Asia)
Thailand
18. International Med. leval 02 Institute of 11 Days
Training on Human Management Human Rights- 13-23 July,
Rights and Human IHR, Bangaluru, 1998
Rights Protection INDIA
Mechnism
19. Development Senior 01 Ecumenical 30 Days
Journalism Management Christian Centre, November
Bangaluru, 1989
INDIA
20. Socio-Legal Research Senior & Med. 12 Indian Social MLAA 5 Days
Methodology leval Institute-ISI,
Management INDIA
21. Fact Finding & Senior & Med. 08 Asia Forum for 10 Days
Documentation on leval Human Rights &
Human Rights Management Development-
Violations Forum Asia,
Thailand
22. TOT Senior & Med. 24 Proshikha 10 days
leval
Management
23. Gender Med. leval 24 BRAC 7 days
Management
13. Policy
1. HR Policy (Grievance ) 
2. Gender Strategy & Guideline 
3. Financial Management Policy 
70 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
4. Procurement policy 
5. Administrative policy 
6. Training Module & Manual and 
Curriculum
7. Others (specify) 
8. PIP 
9. Project Guideline 
10. Booklet on Mediation, AC/VC, HR, 
woman rights, children rights.
11. Ain-o-Salish Sahayika 
Sl. No Item Number

3. Training Centre Own: 2 Rented:
4. Accommodation capacity of Training Centre 50
5. Vehicle 1
6. IT 40
7. Multimedia 2
8. Camera 7
9. Motorcycle 50 (On loan provided by
MLAA)
71 | P a g e PMID
Services Project

FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: Nagorik Uddyog
1. Name of the Organization : NAGORIK UDDYOG (Citizen’s Initiative)
2. Address : House # 8/14, Block-B, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
4. Telephone : 88-02-8115868
5. E-mail : zhossain@agni.com, info@nuhr.org
6. Fax : 88-02-9141511
7. Name of Executive : Zakir Hossain, Chief Executive

Director
8. Contact person Cell : Zakir Hossain, Chief Executive, Nagorik Uddyog
phone no: Cell Phone No: 02-01713081852
Sl. Type of Registration Year of Registration Registration

No. Organization Authority Number
9.1 Non-Profit Trust - Joint Stock Companies March 20, 1995 C 360 (17)/ 95
Act no (Act XVIII)
- NGO Affairs Bureau February 23, 1998 1240

(Renewal date
February 23, 2008)
B. Program on CLS
10 Goals and objectives of the organization:

No.
10.1 To build and A Bangladesh Promoting - To raise consciousness of human
promote without poverty human rights, laws and gender equality at
community where socially right, the grassroots.
72 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
No.
institutions, and Improve - To create an environment
creating environmentally access to conducive to fulfilling democratic
sustainable conscious justice and rights.
livelihood citizens achieve good - To promote rights of socially
opportunities their full governance, excluded people, specially Dalits
and potential especially to - To ensure access to justice through
institutionalizing irrespective of promote mediation and legal aid.
human rights, gender or social women's - To promote political participation
particularly for status. rights based to ensure a fair, open and
poor and on the accountable electoral system.
marginalized principles - To support women at the grassroots
women, of equality level, ensuring their effective and
minorities and and justice. broad participation in political
socially excluded processes.
- To establish and consolidate
national and international human
rights networks.
- To conduct research on key aspects
of Bangladeshi society and on the
impact of global policies on local
human rights realities.
11. Human resources
Number of staff
97 56 153

1. Legal Aid* 1 - 1 - - -
2. Mediation 54 30 84 - - -
3. Human rights 3 - 3 - - -
4. Gender - 1 1 - - -
5. Environmental justice 1 - 1 - - -
6. Advocacy 2 1 3 - - -
7. Research 3 2 5 - - -
73 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
8. Financial Management 6 - 6 - - -
Monitoring and
9. 4 1 5 - - -
Evaluation
10. Capacity building 15 4 19 - - -
Other (Mention)
11. 4 7 11 - - -
HR, ES, IT
Total 93 46 139 - - -
* We have 16 panel lawyers in 5 districts.

1. 11 03 14
A. Training-National Level:
Sl Title of course Category of No Organizing Sponsoring Duration Date

Staff of agency Agency
staff
South Asian 19-20 April
Legal 2012
NAMATI, NAMATI,
Empowerment
Mid-Level Open Society Open Society
Practitioners
1. (Programme Foundation, Foundation, 2 days
Fair 01
Officer) BRAC & BRAC &
Monitoring
MARG MARG
and Evaluation
Environment Mid-Level 4-8 March

and (Programme 2012
2. 01 BELA BELA 5 days
Environmental Officer)
Law
Environment of 25-29
Mid-Level
Climate September
(Programme
4. Change the 01 BELA BELA 5 days 2011
Officer)
Legal
Perspective
Training of 20-26
Institute for Institute for
Trainers on Mid-Level October
Social Social
5. Composite (Programme 02 7 days 2009
Democracy, Democracy,
Heritage Officer)
Dhaka Dhaka
74 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl Title of course Category of No Organizing Sponsoring Duration Date
Staff of agency Agency
staff
Knowledge and 19-23 July
Sociology Sociology
Resource on Mid-Level 2009
Department, Department,
6. Disaster (Programme 02 5 days
Dhaka Dhaka
Management Officer)
University University
Resource
B. Training-International Level:
Sl Title of Category of No Organizing Sponsoring Duration Date
course Staff of agency Agency
staff
Mid-Level 5-9
Decent Work One World One World
1. (Programme 5 days December,
for Women 01 Action, UK Action, UK
Officer) 2010
Food First
International Food First
Senior Level Information 15-25
Case Visit on Information
2. (Project 01 Action Network 11 days January
Right to Action Network
Coordinator) (FIAN)-Nepal 2012
Food (FIAN)-Nepal
19th Session
of the UN 27
Human Mid-Level World Council February ,
3. Rights (Programme 01 IDSN, Denmark of Churches, 2 days 2012 to 23
Council Officer) Geneva March,
2012
Leadership Programme on Programme on

Institute in Women’s Women’s
Women’s Economic, Economic,
Mid-Level 21-29
Economic Social and Social and
4. (Programme 01 8 days January
Social and Cultural Rights Cultural Rights
Officer) 2012
Cultural (PWESCR)- (PWESCR)-
Rights-2012’ Nepal Nepal
Fourth
Session of IZSAK Rita, UN IZSAK Rita, UN
Junior Level
the United Independent Independent 29-30,
(Asst.
5. Nations 01 Expert on Expert on 2 days November,
Programme
Forum on Minority Issues, Minority Issues, 2011
Officer)
Minority Geneva Geneva
Issues
Global Minority Rights Minority Rights
Mid-Level 18-21,
Advocacy Group Group
6. (Programme 01 4 days November,
Program’s International International
Officer) 2011
Regional (MRG (MRG
75 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
staff
Training’ International), International),
Bangkok, Bangkok,
Thailand Thailand
17th UN
Human
Rights
Council - Senior Level
Session and (Chief 22 June,
PAX ROMANA, PAX ROMANA,
7. the 18th Executive) 02 2 days 2011 to 30
Switzerland Switzerland
Annual - Mid Level June, 2011
Meeting of (Dalit Leader)
the UN
Special
Rapporteurs
Series of
Fundraising Senior Level 12-15,
One World One World
8. and (Dalit Women 01 4 days December,
Action, UK Action, UK
Educational Leader) 2010
Events
10th Session 27
Geneva for Geneva for
of the UN Senior Level February,
9. Human (Project 01 24 days 2009 to 22
– Global – Global
Rights Coordinator) March,
Training (GHR) Training (GHR)
Council’ 2009
Strategy
Workshop of
the Solidarity
for Asian
Asian Forum Asian Forum
People’s Senior Level 29th April
for Human for Human
Advocacy (Chief 2010 to
10. 01 Rights and Rights and 2 days
Working Executive) 30th April
Development Development
Group on UN 2010
(FORUM-ASIA) (FORUM-ASIA)
Human Rights
Mechanisms
(SAPA WG on
UNHR)
Inclusive
Citizenship Senior Level 13th April
Bangladesh Bangladesh
for Good (Chief 2010 to
11. 01 Forum Forum 6 days
Governance Executive) 18th April
Germany Germany
in 2010
Bangladesh’
76 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
staff
Regional
Roundtable, 31,
Senior Level Commonwealth Commonwealth
‘Police October,
(Chief Human Rights Human Rights
12. Reforms in 01 2 days 2009 to 1
Executive) Initiative’s Initiative’s
South Asia: November,
(CHRI) (CHRI)
Role of Civil 2009
Society’
- Senior
Training on Level (Senior
Women Programme
25 July to
Piece Officer)
13. 02 SANGAT SANGAT 12 days 05 August,
Democracy
2009
and - Mid Level
Development (Programme
Officer)
C. Seminar/ Workshop/ Conference-International

Sl Title of course Category No of Organizing Sponsoring Duration Date
of Staff staff agency Agency
Senior Feminist Feminist

National Level Dalit Dalit
11-13 May,
1. Conference on (Dalit 01 Organization Organization 3 days
2011
Dalit Women Women (FEDO), (FEDO),
Leader) Nepal Nepal
South Asian
Regional Senior
25-26
Conference on Level MARG, New MARG, New
2 01 2 days February,
‘Legal (Chief Delhi Delhi
2011
Empowerment of Executive)
the Poor’
Senior
Meeting at the World Council World Council
Level 10-11
World Council of Churches of Churches
3. (Dalit 01 2 days March,
of Churches (WCC), (WCC),
Women 2009
(WCC) Geneva Geneva
Leader)
- Senior
Level
(Chief Dalit Dalit
12th session of 8 – 12
Executive) Solidarity Solidarity
4. the Human 02 5 days March
- Mid Network Network
Rights Council 2010
Level (IDSN) (IDSN)
(Dalit
Leader)
77 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl Title of course Category No of Organizing Sponsoring Duration Date
Minority Issues National National

and Social Campaign on Campaign on
Exclusion in Dalit Human Dalit Human
South Asia: Rights Rights
Senior
Challenges and (NCDHR) (NCDHR) 18th to
Level
Responses by and The and The 19th
5. (Chief 2 days
State and Civil 01 Working Working December,
Executive
Society, Group on Group on 2010
)
Positive, Human Human
Practices, Rights Rights
Learning’s and (WGHR), (WGHR),
Future Tasks New Delhi New Delhi
Fredskorpset Senior
Human Human 22nd –
Exchanges Level
Rights and Rights and 23rd
6. Programme (Chief 01 2 days
Development Development March,
Partners Executive
Foundation Foundation 2010
Meeting )
Senior
Fredskorpset and and
Level 6th to 8th
Partner Development Development
7. (Chief 2 days December,
Planning 01 Foundation Foundation
Executive 2010
Meeting (HRDF), (HRDF),
)
Thailand Thailand
Exposure Visit
and
International
lobbing to
Junior
understand the
Level
success of the
(Asst. NABASARJON, NABASARJON, 12th to 22nd
8. neighboring 05 10 Days
Program INDIA INDIA May, 2012
country’s Dalit
me
Development
Officer)
Programme and
UN Level
Advocacy as
well
13. Policy
1. HR Policy (Grievance ) 
Included in the service rules
78 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
2. Gender Strategy & Guideline

3. Financial Management Policy 
4. Procurement policy 
(Included in the financial Policy)
5. Administrative policy 
(Included in the service rules)
6. Training Module & Manual and

Curriculum
7. Others (specify)
- NU Staff provident Fund 
- Recruitment Policy
Sl. No Item Number

(Head Office)
2. Branch office Own: Rented: (12 offices)
3. Training Centre Own: Rented:
4. Accommodation capacity of Training Centre Own: Rented:

5. Vehicle Own: 1 Rented:
(Motorcycle)
6. IT
7. Computer and Printer Own: Rented:
(33 computer, 4 laptop and
9 printer )
8. Multimedia Projector with Screen Own: 2 Rented:
9. Photocopy Machine Own: 1 Rented:
10. Video Camera Own: 2 Rented:
11. Digital Camera Own: 4 Rented:
12. Color Television Own: 3 Rented:
13. Generator (full office) Own: 1 Rented:
14. IPS Support (full office) Own: 4 Rented:
15. Accounting Software-TALLY Own: 1 Rented:
16. Library Software-MIRROR Own: 1 Rented:

FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: Banchte Shekha
1. Name of the Organization : Banchte Shekha
79 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
2. Address : Shaheed Mashiur Raman Sarak, Jessore
Bangladesh
3. Year of Establishment 1976 (registered in 1981)
4. Telephone : 0421 68885

5. E-mail : angelagomes52@yahoo.com
anup_ks62@yahoo.com
6. Fax : 0421 68886

7. Name of Executive : Angela Gomes
Director
8. Contact person : Angela Gomes, 01713400388
Cell phone no: Anup K. Saha, 01711814740

9.1 Non-Profit Organization  Department of  June 09, 1981  Jessore-185
Social Welfare
 NGO Affairs  July 06, 1983  FDR-146
Bureau  December  S7281(470)07
 Joint Stock 02, 2007
Companies &  03446-
Farms  September 01309-00328
 Micro Credit 07, 2008
Regulatory
Authority
B. Program on CLS

No.
80 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
No.
10.1 Banchte A society, Contribution  To empower destitute, hardcore,
Shekha will which fulfils to uphold marginalized, disadvantaged women
bring about all the human through various human rights and
an improved fundamental rights with empowerment activities
quality for life demands and respect and  To ensure social and legal rights
for the poor rights of the dignity for against inhumane torture & injustice
women and poor women her target under prevailing system
children in and children, participants
 To assist them with multiple ways of
the social and in which in the
income generation
economic social working
sphere. harmony, area.  To encourage them with savings
Especially by peace, justice generation
using and ecological  To make them aware of food
awareness balance preservation & development of
techniques to prevail. expertise in the related fields
empower the  To ascertain health for all and aware
beneficiaries preventional diseases and population
with the skills control
to survive and
assist them to  To raise awareness on environment,
access their ecosystem, biodiversity and climate
legal and change and thus reduce the risk of
democratic disaster management
rights.  To create access of the women to
justice and human rights
 To educate people through functional
and non-formal education
 To provide legal aid (free) to destitute,
vulnerable women and children who
are most suffers.
 To develop community based or pond
fisheries and to conduct adaptive
learning/ action research on it.
 To promote good governess,
transparency & accountability of the
groups as well as the organization
 To ensure the empowerment of the
women through establishment of
gender
 To aware mass people through
different songs, slogans & stage
dramas
 To assist the disables through
81 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
No.
rehabilitation and treatment
 To create sustainable development of
renewable energy like biogas through
biomass, generating electricity
through solar cell establishment
 To carry out research on sustainable
economic development through
appropriate use of local resources
 To provide relief to the natural
disaster affected people and locality.
 To build up information technology
infrastructure for developing software
 To assist to increase the income of the
target people by income generating
activities and micro/enterprise loan
for increasing standard of life.
 To reduce violence against
disadvantaged, destitute, hardcore
poor, marginalized people particularly
women and children.
 To assist to bring the physically
challenged, indigenous or ethnic
segment to the mainstream of the
society as well as state.
 To arrange different need based
training to sharpen women’s skills
 .To organize different awareness,
action advocacy & lobbying activities
in furthermore of the objectives of the
organization.
 To create employment opportunities
for rural and urban population living
below the poverty line and provide
support services for women to engage
in productive work.
 To print, publish, issue, circulate
papers, periodicals, books,
publications and other literacy,
scientific and useful works, efforts and
undertakings as may be helpful to
accomplish any of the objects of the
Society..
82 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Number of staff
232 145 87 232

1. Legal Aid 6 12 18 4 4 08
2. Mediation 4 10 14 4 4 8
3. Public interest 3 5 8 3 3 6
litigation
4. Human rights 9 13 22 5 8 13
5. Gender 3 5 8 2 2 4
6. Environmental justice 5 2 7 3 2 7
7. Advocacy 7 8 15 2 3 5
8. Research 1 - 1
10. Monitoring and 3 1 4 - - -
Evaluation
12. Other (Mention) 75 50 125 75 30 105
Credit
IT - - - 3 1 4

1. Agricultural farm, fishery and 38 31 69

hatchery, poultry and livestock,
training institute, guard etc
83 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
13. Training received by the Professional Staff

Sl Title of course Category No of staff Organizing Sponsoring Duration
of Staff agency Agency
1. Mediation Higher, 57 Banchte Danida PSU- (Basic -5

Technique mid and Shekha and HRGG days and
front level MLAA Follow up-3
staff of BS days)
2. Training on the Higher, 57 Banchte Danida PSU- Basic-
Village Court and mid, front Shekha and HRGG 7days,
Arbitration level staff MLAA follow up -3
Council days)
3. ToT for the project Trainers 15 Banchte Danida PSU- Basic-7days
staff and project Shekha and HRGG
staff MLAA
4. Gender Higher, 57 Banchte Danida PSU- Basic-3
mid, front Shekha and HRGG days)
level staff MLAA
5. Human and Higher, 57 Banchte Danida PSU- (Basic -5
women rights mid and Shekha and HRGG days and
staff of BS days)
6. Training on the Higher, 57 Banchte Danida PSU- (Basic -5
Muslim Family law mid and Shekha and HRGG days and
staff of BS days)
7. Training on Hindu Mid and 10 MJF MJF 3 days
Family Law and front level
advocacy staff
12. Policy
1. HR Policy (Grievance ) Yes
84 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
2. Gender Strategy & Guideline Yes
3. Financial Management Policy Yes

4. Procurement policy Yes
5. Administrative policy Yes
6. Training Module & Manual and Yes

Curriculum
7. Others (specify) Strategic policy
Credit management
policy
Sl. No Item Number

2. Branch office Own: 4 Rented: 16
3. Training Centre Own: 2 Rented:0
4. Accommodation capacity of Training 1 Centre. Banchte Shekha have well equipped
Centre residential training center where 90 people can
stay day and night
5. Vehicle 2 micro bus, 1 Jeep
6. IT Banchte Shekha has an IT centre where from
students are receiving training on a routine basis
7. Lands Banchte Shekha own 150 bighas of lands
8. Fish Hatchery Banchte Shekha has a fish hatchery for producing
quality fingerlings.
9. Ponds 08 ponds for brood fishes
10. Computer, multimedia , generator Computer: 50, multimedia: 3, generator-5, laptop:
and laptop 10
11. PA system etc. 1 set
85 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: BRAC
A. Basic Information about the Organization
1. Name of the Organization : BRAC
Human Rights and Legal Aid Services (HRLS)
Programme
2. Address : BRAC Centre, 75 Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
3. Year of Establishment : BRAC 1972 (HRLS 1986)
4. Telephone : +8802 9881265 x 3275
5. E-mail : info@brac.net
6. Fax : +8802 8813544
7. Name of Executive : (Dr. Mahabub Hossain)

Director Director of HRLS: Dr. Faustina Pereira
8. Contact person : Ishita Islam, Senior Program Specialist, HRLS

Cell phone no: +8802 9881265 x 3277
86 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
9. Type of organization:

9.1 Non Profit NGO Bureau 22/1/1981 002
HRLS works under the following purview: In BRAC’s Memorandum of Association under BRAC’s
objectives, it is listed in Article 3.ixa as “Provide free legal advice, legal services and education to
individuals, groups or disadvantaged people who suffer from human rights violations and to
groups who advocate for them. Participate in activities that redress inequalities and defects in
laws, policies, the legal system, and administrative and social practices that impact on
disadvantaged people”
B. Program on CLS
Sl. No. Mission (Organization) Vision Goals Objectives (Programme)

(Organization) (Programme)
10.1 Our mission is to A world free To protect 1. Create awareness on
empower people and from all forms and promote human rights and
communities in of exploitation human rights laws to empower
situations of poverty, and through legal poor and
illiteracy, disease and discrimination empowerment marginalized citizens
social injustice. Our where everyone especially for 2. Ensure equitable
interventions aim to has the women, the access to justice for
achieve large scale, opportunity to poor and the marginalized citizens
positive changes through realise their disadvantaged 3. Sensitize local
economic and social potential. community actors in
programmes that enable the legal system in
men and women to the principles of
realise their potential. human rights and
gender justice
4. Work towards
institutional reform
and implement best
practices, in
particular, the right
to information and
access to legal aid
services.
87 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
11. Human resources
Number of staff
462 357 105 462

1. Legal Aid 352 103 455 ----- ----- -----
2. Mediation 346 97 443 ----- ----- -----
3. Public interest ----- 2 2 ----- ----- -----
litigation
4. Human rights 357 105 462 ----- ----- -----
5. Gender 357 105 462 ----- ----- -----
6. Advocacy 357 105 462 ----- ----- -----
7. Financial Management 1 Head BRAC 1 Head ----- ----- -----
Office + Accounts Office +
BRAC BRAC
Accounts Account
s
8. Monitoring and 41 4 45 ----- ----- -----
Evaluation
9. Capacity building 9 ----- 9 ----- ----- -----

1. Not sure what is meant by supporting staff. Office assistants, cooks, drivers, etc. are all
employed by BRAC and not specifically HRLS.
88 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl Title of course Category No of staff Organizi Sponsori Duratio
of Staff ng ng n
agency Agency
1. Operational Management HRLS As needed HRLS HRLS 12 Days

Course (OMC) Field Staff
2. OMC refreshers HRLS As needed HRLS HRLS 6 Days
Field Staff
3. HRLE Curriculum Training for HRLE From 1986 HRLS HRLS 24 Days
HRLE Shebikas Shebikas to April
a) HRLE Basic Training – 01 2012 -
b) HRLE Basic Training – 5,943
02
c) HRLE TT-01
d) HRLE TT-02
4. HRLE Refreshers HRLE From 1986 HRLS HRLS 6 Days
Shebikas to April
2012 -
7,116
5. Confidence building & Skill Odhikar From 2003 HRLS HRLS 12 Days
Development Training for Shebis to April
Odhikar Shebi 2012 -
13,805
6. Training of Trainers (TOT) HRLS 8 HRLS HRLS 6 D
Trainers &
a
Facilitator
s y
s
13. Policy
Curriculum
7. Sexual Harassment Elimination Policy √
8. Child Protection Policy √
9. Guideline for behavioural conduct with √
child domestic workers
89 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl. No Item Number
1. Office (own/rented) Own: ---- Rented: 1 (Rented floor space

at BRAC Head Office)
2. Branch office Own: ---- Rented: 517 (Mostly rented
from BRAC itself)
3. Training Centre Own: ---- Rented: 20 (BRAC Learning
Centres (BLC) across the country)
4. Accommodation capacity of Training Each BLC has its own capacity
Centre
5. Vehicle Rent car from BRAC as per need of programme
6. IT BRAC IT provides services to the head office

staff as needed. There are no computers at the
field level except for 6 netbooks to each of the 6
divisional staff lawyers.
90 | P a g e PMID
Services Project

FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: RDRS Bangladesh
1. Name of the :RDRS Bangladesh
Organization
2. Address :House-43, Road-10, Sector-6, Uttara, Dhaka.
3. Year of :1972
Establishment
4. Telephone :895 4384-86
5. E-mail :rdrs@bangla.net
6. Fax :895 4391
7. Name of :Dr. Salima Rahman

Executive
Director
8. Contact person :Jakia Sultana.


9.1 Non profit NGO NGO Affairs 17 May 2010 003
Bureau
B. Program on CLS

No.
10.1 To work with poor & their The rural poor and
organization to establish marginalized achieve
and claim their rights; to
meaningful political, social
build their capacity and
confidence to advance their and economic
empowerment, and empowerment, quality of
resilience to withstand life, justice and a
adversity; and to promote
sustainable environment
91 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
good governance among through their individual
local institutions and and collective efforts.
improved access by the
marginalized to
opportunities, resources
and services necessary to
fulfill decent lives.
10.2 Mission of Women’s Vision of Women’s Rights
Rights Unit: Unit:
RDRS Women’s Rights To work towards the
Program strives to reduce elimination of gender-
the exclusion, deprivation based violence and for the
and discrimination against promotion and protection
women and all kinds of of women’s rights gender
gender-based violence equality, justice, dignity,
through promotion and security, freedom and
protection of women’s empowerment in
rights by, with and for rural Northwest Bangladesh.
women.
11. Human resources
Number of staff
45 12 33 45

1. Legal Aid 6 6 - -
2. Gender 1 1
3. Financial Management 2 2
Evaluation
5. Capacity building 8 8

92 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
3. 36 13 23 36

Sl Title of course Category No of Organizing Sponsoring Duration
1. Training on Gender Legal Aid, 25 RDRS RDRS 5 Days

and development Gender, Bangladesh Bangladesh
Monitoring
and
Evaluation,
Capacity
Building
2. Training on Legal Aid, 25 RDRS RDRS 5 Days
litigation Gender, Bangladesh Bangladesh
Capacity
Building
Monitoring and Gender, Bangladesh Bangladesh
Evaluation Monitoring
and
Evaluation,
Capacity
Building
Monitoring and Gender, Bangladesh Bangladesh
Evaluation System Monitoring
and data analysis and
Evaluation,
Capacity
Building
5. Training on 25 RDRS RDRS 5 Days
Advocacy Bangladesh Bangladesh
93 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
6. Training on Gender Legal Aid, 25 RDRS RDRS 3 Days

Sensitivity Gender, Bangladesh Bangladesh
Monitoring
and
Evaluation,
Capacity
Building
7. Training on conflict Legal Aid, 7 Acid Survivors Acid Survivors 8 Days
management Capacity Foundation Foundation
Building
8. Refresher training Gender, 3 Acid Survivors Acid Survivors 5 Days
on conflict Capacity Foundation Foundation
management Building,
Monitoring
and
Evaluation
13. Policy

Curriculum
7. Others (specify)
Sl. No Item Number
1. Office (own/rented) Own: 6 Rented:2

2. Training Centre Own: 3 Rented:
94 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
FACT SHEET
Name of organization: Light House
1. Name of the Organization : Light House
2. Address : Jahurul nagar, Bogra-5800,

Dhaka liaison office: 9/2, 3rd floor, Ring Road,
Shyamoli Dhaka-1207
4. Telephone : 66246, 69387, 60029.
5. E-mail : harun.lh@btcl.net, lighthouse.bogra@gmail.com
6. Fax : 69387
7. Name of Executive : Md. Harun-or-Rashid

Director
8. Contact person : Md. Harun-or-Rashid

01929988400
95 | P a g e PMID
Services Project

th
9.1 Non profit development Light House is 6 may, 1992 ( Registration
organization registered with dept. of social Number DH-
both the
service) 02791
Department of th
Social Services, 5 November 1998, Department of
Government of the (NGO affairs Social Services,
People's Republic bureau, of prime
Government of
of Bangladesh and ministers office).
the People's
the NGO affairs
Bureau of Prime Republic of
Minister’s office to Bangladesh
receive and operate
with foreign Registration
donations from Number
abroad
FDO/R 1307
(NGO affairs
Bureau of
Prime
Minister’s
office)

No.
10.1 Light House is a non To emerge as a  Ensuring  To render
governmental, non leading national social security quality
political social service NGO with special and justice at services to all
organization. We work expertise in HIV national & irrespective of
in partnership with prevention, regional level cost, religion
other development ensuring good  Improving the and/or
organizations, civil governance and socio political
society and poverty alleviation economic affiliation.
government to ensure and disaster conditions of  To promote
equal access to basic management and poor, fraternity,
human rights, social addressing climate marginalized rapport and
security and good change with and vulnerable brotherhood
governance for the increased funding people and among the
whole community, but coming from our thereby Citizens of
96 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
No.
particularly the most own sources. Note: decrease the the area
vulnerable and most at Ed sir is expected to number of  To promote
risk groups. Light bring some changes people living the socio-
House believes in in vision. in or below economic
making a difference by the poverty development
eliminating poverty line. of rural and
and preventing AIDS  Reducing the urban asset
and ensuring risk of HIV, less poor,
accountability, peace AIDS & STI particularly
and harmony along transmission the landless,
with gender equity and To increase self marginalized,
participation. sustaining activities/ fishermen,
self sustainability of weavers and
Light House other
disadvantage
d adults and
children.
 To undertake
programs to
eliminate
illiteracy and
facilitate
access to
education.
 To eliminate
negative
belief systems
in the society
that hamper
development.
 To ensure
social and
economic
empowermen
t of women so
that there will
be gender
equity in
society
97 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
11. Human resources
Number of staff
565 491 74 565

1. Legal Aid 1 4 5 239 24 263 (
Volunteer)
2. Mediation 11 5 16 14 8 22
4. Gender 12 7 19 86 86 172 (
Volunteer)
5. Advocacy 33 11 44
6. Research 7 1 8
Evaluation

1. 61 52 09 61
98 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Training received by the Professional Staff:
1. International Sr. 01 Equitas, Equitas, 3 weeks

Human Rights Manager Canada Canada
Training Program
2. “understanding Sr. 01 Proshika Proshika 2 weeks
the art of Manager
Advocacy and
policy analysis
organized by
Proshika at kaitta
HRDC in 2009
3. “Stakeholder Sr. 01 Collective Collective 4 days
Dialouge” Key Manager Leadership Leadership
Concepts and Institute, Institute,
Competencies for Germany Germany
Achieving
Common Goal.
4. Human right & District 01 Care Care 08 days
Gender equity manager Bangladesh Bangladesh
5. Training on District 01 Care Care 07 days
Gender and manager Bangladesh Bangladesh
Development
6. Human rights and District 01 Care Care 05 days
Gender equity manager Bangladesh Bangladesh
7. Training on village District 01 GIZ GIZ 03 daays
court manager
8. Women Manager 01 Care BMDC 05 days
development in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
9. gender Manager 01 Care Care 03 days
development Bangladesh Bangladesh
10. Leadership Manager 01 Care Care 02 days
development for Bangladesh Bangladesh
women
11. Management Manager 01 Care Care 25 days
development Bangladesh Bangladesh
program
12. Legal aspect Manager 01 BLAST Light House 02 days
training
13. Good governance Manager 01 Care Care 05 days
Bangladesh Bangladesh
14. Gender responsive Master 22 GIZ communica 08
mediation and trainer (
arbitration Mid level)
99 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
15. International Master 11 GIZ Police stuff 14

Human Rights trainer ( college
Law and equal Mid level)
participation of
man and woman
16. Community mid level 07 The Asia The Asia 03
Policing Foundation Foundation
17. Community mid level 07 The Asia Port land 03
Policing Foundation police
18. Psycho social Mid level 01 ASF ( Acid ASF ( Acid 04
development survivors survivors
foundation) foundation)
19. Capacity building Mid level 01 ASF ( Acid ASF ( Acid 04
survivors survivors
foundation) foundation)
20. Facilitation and Mid level 01 ASF ( Acid Management 04
advocacy survivors development
foundation centre
21. Right Based Midlevel 01 ASF ( Acid CODEC 03
Approach and survivors
Advocay foundation
22. Psychosocial Midlevel 01 ASF ( Acid ASF ( Acid 03
aspect of capacity survivors survivors
building foundation foundation
23. Case management Midlevel 03 UNICEF UNICEF 04
24. Professional social Midlevel 03 UNICEF Opearejoyo 05
service training and junior Bangla
level
25. Basic social Midlevel 01 UNICEF Social welfare 15
service training department
12. Policy
Sl. Particular Yes No
No.
1. HR Policy (Grievance ) yes
2. Gender Strategy & Guideline yes
3. Financial Management Policy yes
4. Procurement policy yes
5. Administrative policy yes
6. Training Module & Manual and Curriculum yes
7. Others (specify) Information Disclosure Policy yes
100 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl. No Item Number
1. Office (own/rented) Own: 01 ( 8000 sft), Bogra

Rented: 01 (1600 sft), Dhaka
3. Training Centre Own: 01 Rented: 01
4. Accommodation capacity of Training Centre 55-60 participants
5. Vehicle 02
6. IT computer 64
7. Motorcycle 06
8. UPS 64
9. IPS 08
10. land ( decimal) 86
11. Apartment In Dhaka 01 ( 1750 sft)
12. TV 38
13. Photocopy machine 02
14. Camera 38
15. Multimedia projector 01
16. Generator 01
17. Printer 56
101 | P a g e PMID
Services Project

FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: Wave Foundation
1. Name of the : WAVE Foundation
Organization
2. Address : 3/11, Block- D, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207

Website: www.wavefoundationbd.org
3. Year of Establishment : WAVE Foundation has been started

his journey in 1990
4. Telephone : Phone: 8153320, 8113383
5. E-mail : info@wavefoundationbd.org
6. Fax : 8153320, 8113383 Fax: ext.-123
7. Name of Executive : Mohsin Ali

Director
8. Contact person : Mohsin Ali

102 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl. Type of Registration Authority Year of Registration

No. Organization Registrati Number
on
9.1 Non profit NGO Joint Stook Company Registration No.
(Under Societies Act XXI of 2003 S-3240(29)/2003,
1860) dated 23.07.2003
Department of Social 1989 Registration No.
services Kush-87/89, dated
20.02.1991
Registered under NGO 1993 Registration No. 719,
Affairs Bureau: Registration dated 22.06.1993,
renewed on 22.12.2008
B. Program on CLS
Improving Responsiveness of Public Services and Implementation of Activating Village Courts in
Bangladesh Project

No.
10.1 WAVE Foundation aims A conducive People’s mp
to uphold human condition of good empowerment by
dignity, equity and governance and enhancing democratic
accountability through sustainable decentralization,
people’s active livelihood towards effective local
participation, capacity a poverty free just governance and
enhancement and access society. participatory
to resources. democracy and
promoting rights, food
security, eco-
agriculture, income
opportunity,
employment
generation, disaster
risk reduction and
climate resilience for
the poor and
marginalized
103 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
11. Human resources
Number of staff
812 438 1250

Legal Aid 4 21 25 57 61 118
2. Advocacy 07 05 12
3. Research 05 01 06
Evaluation
6. Capacity building 06 04 10
7. Other (Mention) 363 255 618 231 54 285
Microfinance,
Livelihood & Essential
Services & Women’s
Empowerment Program
Staff

4. 26 60 86
104 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl Title of course Category of No of staff Organizing Sponsoring Duration
Staff agency Agency
1. ToT on Village Manggement 21 UNDP European 12 days

Court staff bangladesh Union
2. Foundation Field level 118 WAVE UNDP and 05 Days
Training on staff Foundation
EC
Local justice,
Village court and
Human rights
3. Training on Manggement 50 WAVE DANIDA 05 Days
Development, staff Foundation
Governance,
Advocacy and
Different
Development
Based
Approaches
4. Foundation Field level 112 WAVE DANIDA 05 Days
Training on staff Foundation
Development,
Governance,
Advocacy and
Different
Development
Based
Approaches
5. Training on Field & WAVE WAVE Actionaid 05 ays
Huaman Rights, Management Foundation Foundation bangladesh
Gender and level staffs
Development .
13. Policy
1. HR Policy (Grievance ) 
2. Gender Strategy & Guideline 
3. Financial Management Policy 
4. Procurement policy 
5. Administrative policy 
6. Training Module & Manual and 
Curriculum
7. Others (specify) 
Hire Purchase Policy (for motor bike)
8. Four Wheeler Policy 
105 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl. Item Number
No
2. Branch office + (Area Office + Project Own: Rented: 85
Office)
4. Accommodation capacity of Training 60
Centre
5. Vehicle Four Wheeler: 06; Motor Bike: 84
6. IT Laptop: 22; Desktop with UPS: 76;
Printer: 21
7. Land and Building Land: 12.4 acres; Building: 01; Tin Shed: 04
8. Audio visual Television: 39; VCR:01; CD Player:01; Audio
Cassette Player: 02
9. Photocopier: 06
10. Electrical Equipment IPS:06; Generator:06
11. OHP & Multimedia: OHP: 01; Multimedia:05
106 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: Eco Social Development Organization (ESDO)
1. Name of the Organization : Eco Social Development Organization (ESDO)
2. Address : Head Office Address

Collegepara, Thakurgaon-5100, Bangladesh
Post: Thakurgaon, Upazila: Thakurgaon Sadar
District: Thakurgaon, Bangladesh
Mobile: +88-01714-063360
Web: esdo-bangladesh.org
Dhaka Office
ESDO House, Plot # 748, Road # 08,
Baitul Aman Housing Society, Adabar
Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Mobile: +88-01713-149259
3. Year of Establishment 3rd April, 1988
4. Telephone : +88-0561-52149 (Thakurgaon)

+88-02-8154857 (Dhaka)
5. E-mail : esdobangladesh@hotmail.com
6. Fax : +88-0561-61599
7. Name of Executive : Dr. Md. Shahid Uz Zaman

Director
8. Contact person : Dr. Md. Shahid Uz Zaman

Cell phone no: Mobile: +88-01713-149333/ +88-01713-210488
107 | P a g e PMID
Services Project

9.1 Non Profit Making a. Department of Social a. 15 November a. DSS Thakur-
Service 1988 440/88
b. NGO Affairs Bureau,
a. 15 March 1993 b. 694/93
registration No.
(Renewed-2008)
B. Program on CLS

No.
10.1 Reduction in income poverty We seek an Ensuring a. Creating awareness for
and human poverty of the equitable empowerment the improvement in the
people in ESDO's working society free of the rural quality of life of the
area through undertaking from all disadvantaged poor, specially the
massive income generation discriminations. people women through human
activities, literacy program, specially the development training,
nutrition and health poor women education, technical
program, human rights and through education and
good governance program generate sustainable technology.
giving proper importance to employment b. To uplift the Socio-
environmental protection opportunities. economic condition
and regeneration. ESDO through credit, non-
firmly believes and is formal education, health
actively involved in and sanitation and skill
promoting human rights, training.
dignity and gender equality c. To unite the largest
through people's social, people in order to
economical, political and undertake collective
human capacity building. efforts for empowering
Women in general and the poor specially the
children are the core and women.
central focus of its activities.
Strengthening the
organizational capacity
carries importance to ensure
quality of its services.
Extending its services to the
ultra poor is its main
manifesto.
108 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
11. Human resources
Number of staff
4890 1814 3076 4890

1. Legal Aid 148 91 239
2. Mediation 7 12 19
litigation
4. Human rights 11 8 19 16 14 30
5. Gender 2 11 13
6. Advocacy 57 93 150
7. Research 2 - 2
Evaluation
11. Other (Mention):Food 2811 4254

Security, Micro 1443
Finance, Health,
Education, Disaster
Management, ESDO
Enterprize

1. 510 470 40 510
109 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
12. Training received by the Professional Staff
Sl Title of course Category of No Organizing Sponsoring Agency Duration
Staff of agency
staff
1. Participatory Project Senior Staffs 33 Nordic DANIDA,OXFAM,PKSF 10-100
Management Agricultural days
Academy,
Denmark,
SPAR-India,
AIT,
Thailand,
ATI-
Philipine
2. Conflict Senior Staff 01 World HEKS 21 days
Transformation and learning
Peace center,
Education(CONTACT) Vermont-
USA
3. TOT on Village court Mid level 25 NILG- UNDP 12 days
staffs Dhaka
4. Monitoring and Mid level 132 Different CARE, WFP, 7-15 days
Evaluation and senior venues in HEKS,PKSF
management Bangladesh
5. Financial Management Mid level 92 Different CARE, WFP, 5-7 days
and senior venues in HEKS,PKSF
management Bangladesh
13. Policy

Curriculum
7. Others (specify) Yes
Child Protection Policy
110 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl. Item Number

No
3. Training Centre Own: 3 Rented:2
4. Accommodation capacity of Training Centre 255
5. Vehicle Jeep-7,Micro Bus-5
Mini Bus-3
Motor cycle-464
6. IT Computer with printer-62
Laptop-36
7. Multimedia & overhead projector 8
8. Video Camera 5
9. Digital Camera 45
10. Ambulance 1
11. Mahindra Tractor 4
111 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
FACT SHEET
Name of the organization: Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS)
1. Name of the Organization : Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS)
2. Address : Shibgonj Road, Netrakona
4. Telephone : 0951 61 566
5. E-mail : sabalambysus@yahoo.com
6. Fax : 88-0951-61766
7. Name of Executive : Begum Rokeya

Director
8. Contact person :
Cell phone no: 1713 7 30

1. Income generating NGO Micro credit Regularity 2008 00696-01519-00224
Reform Authority :
2. Registration of Social 1986 0042

Welfare Department
Registration of NGO 1990 392
Affairs Bureau
B. Program on CLS

No.
10.1 SUS works with poor People live in a Deprived *To improve the economical
and deprived people society with people enjoy status of group members by
by providing dignity and a better promoting agriculture
different socio- justice. livelihood livestock, fisheries, handicraft,
economic and and have production and other micro
cultural services with involvement enterprise activities
112 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
No.
a view to eradicate in improving *To ensure access into quality
poverty and their lives education, health and create
injustice. friendly environment for the
poor for better living with
honor and dignity.
*To create a gender-based
social environment by
reducing violence and
ensuring access into justice.
*To strengthen and ensure
smooth operation of the core
programs.
*To disseminate appropriate
technology in the field of
agriculture by practicing
organic farming as well as to
protect the environment.
*To support the personnel
involved in finance, accounts
and logistics management to
perform their activities
effectively and efficiently.
*To attain a greater level of
sustainability.
*To assist the poor and
deprived people in accessing
into Govt. and other services
provider institution.
11. Human Resources
Number of staff
Full-time: Male: 443 Female: 118 561

Part-time: Male: 93 Female: 270 363
Total: Male: 536 Female: 388 924

1. Legal Aid 1 1 2 - -
2. Mediation 6 1 7
3. Human rights 4
113 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
4. Gender 3 1` 4 - - -
5. Advocacy 1 1 2
6. Research 1 1
Evaluation

1. Training on ESCR PM 1 ASK AIHR 7 Days

2. Training on RBA PM 1 AAB AAB 5 Days
3. Training CO 1 ASF ASF 2 days
Workshop on
Acid Violence
4. Orientation on DCF 1 VOICE VOICE 2 Days
Climate Justice
13. Policy
Curriculum
7. Others (specify)
Sl. No Item Number

4. Accommodation capacity of Training Centre 30 persons
114 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Annex 2:
List of persons Met
115 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Sl Person Designation Organization

1. Mr. Shah Newaz Director, Administration and Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)
Programme Support
2. Angela Gomes Executive Director Banchte Shekha
3. Syeda Rizwana Hasan Executive Director Bangladesh Environmental
Lawyers Association (BELA)
4. Ms. Sara Hossain Honorary Director Bangladesh Legal Aid and
Services Trust (BLAST)
5. Advocate Salma Ali Executive Director Bangladesh National Woman
Lawyers’ Association
(BNWLA)
6. Dr. Faustina Pereira Director of HRLS BRAC
7. Dr. Md. Shahid Uz Executive Director Eco Social Development
Zaman Organization (ESDO)
8. Md. Harun-or-Rashid Executive Director Light House
9. Fazlul Huq Executive Director Madaripur Legal Aid
Association (MLAA).
10. Zakir Hossain Chief Executive Nagorik Uddyog
11. Dr. Salima Rahman Executive Director RDRS Bangladesh
12. Swopon Kumar Paul Director Sabalamby Unnayan Samity
(SUS)
13. Mohsin Ali Executive Director WAVE Foundation
116 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
Annex3:
Terms of Reference
117 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
TERMS OF REFERENCE
FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE BASELINE STUDIES
FOR THE COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES PROJECT
A. TITLE OF THE STUDY
MAPPING EXERCISE AND INSTITUTIONAL SURVEY FOR THE

COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES PROJECT
B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES

PROJECT
Please see that attached Terms of Reference of the CLS project (Annex A)
C. STATEMENT ON THE NEED FOR THE BASELINE STUDIES
The Community Legal Services Project (CLS) is a recently approved project funded by
the DFID and implemented by a consortium of Maxwell Stamp PLC, as principal
contractor, and the British Council and the Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (UK)
as the consortium partners. The CLS seeks to empower and support legal and human
rights NGOs in Bangladesh in order to deliver community legal services, such as legal
aid, community mediation, alternative dispute resolution, resolution of land rights issues,
in as many districts as possible. The project has started only in February 12, 2012, and
the inception period will end on August 12, 2012. The main strategy of the project is
providing grants to our partner organizations in order to deliver CLS in the areas where
they are most needed, especially in the hard to reach areas, and areas where there has
been no CLS activity yet in the past.
In 2007, a mapping exercise has been conducted by the Asia Foundation, which has
identified the various NGOs working in the area of CLS. A copy of the said study is
attached here as Annex B. This 2007 study has concluded that CLS activities are present
in 35% of the country. This is a conclusion which this current study would like to
validate. Since the study has been conducted in 2007, the state of affairs in CLS may
have changed over the years. The benchmarking of the extent of CLS activities in
Bangladesh is important for several important reasons: (a) this data will inform the
logframe of the project, and our target for expanding CLS in the future; and (b) this data
will be the basis for making our geographic expansion plan for the expanding CLS in
Bangladesh; (c) the baseline will also serve as the inputs for a capacity development
strategy wherein the project intends to tap the more mature and experienced NGOs to
provide capacity building support to the less experienced NGOs or to NGOs who would
like to adopt a CLS component in their existing development work; and (d) the baseline
will also provide input data to the Geographical Information System (GIS) which will be
a monitoring tool for the expansion of CLS in the country.
118 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
D. THE BASELINE STUDY PROPER
The baseline study is divided into two components: a mapping exercise and an
institutional survey.
The mapping exercise will determine the current scope and extent of CLS activities being
done by various legal NGOs by themselves, through their field offices or through their
partner NGOs. The institutional survey will provide information on the extent of the work
of the legal NGOs, their governance structure, their donors and their partner NGOs. More
importantly, the institutional survey will determine the training and knowledge sharing
capabilities of the NGOs and their willingness to be part of the training pool for the CLS
partner NGOs in the future.
E. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
The following NGOs has been predetermined to be the exhaustive list that will be the
subject of this baseline study. These NGOs and their location are the following:
15. Ain-O-Salish Kendra (ASK) - Dhaka
16. Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) - Dhaka
17. Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) -Dhaka
18. Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) -Dhaka
19. Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA) - Madaripur
20. Nagorik Udyog - Dhaka
21. Banchte Sekha - Jessore
22. Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Human Rights and Legal Services
Division - Dhaka
23. Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Society (RDRS) - Rangpur
24. Lighthouse - Bogra
25. Wave Foundation - Dhaka
26. Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO)- Dhaka
27. Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS) - Netrokona
119 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
The research company is expected to conduct in-depth interviews with each and every
NGO in this list, together with their partner NGOs that are doing legal CLS type of work.
Four of these NGOs have been selected not only for their work in the area of CLS but
also their participation in the Activation of Village Courts Project of the UNDP. These
are BLAST, MLAA, ESDO and Wave Foundation. (Please see the list of CLS type of
activities attached as Annex C). The in depth interviews will be triggered by an
introductory letter from the CLS Project Team Leader requesting for the interview with a
guide that will indicate the type of information that we would be needing for our baseline
survey. The company is expected to make contact with the interviewees, and provide the
necessary interviewers that will conduct the interviews.
Since the interviews will most probably involve the senior persons of each of these
NGOs, and their key staff (Finance and Administration Officers, M&E Officers,
Advocacy Officers and the like), it is important that the research company should provide
fairly senior and seasoned interviewers that could understand the context of the research
and also make the necessary follow through questions in the event that the respondents
would provide vague or incomplete responses. These interviewers will be vetted and
approved by the CLS project team.
A copy of the interview guide that will be provided to the expected respondents would be
found in Annex D.
Once the interviews are completed, the company will provide the CLS team the following
outputs:
a) Completed Interview Response with detailed information for each guide question that
has been included in the guide. The interview response should include other
information which may not have been anticipated in the interview guide, but would
help in the implementation of CLS.
b) A Mapping Matrix on the work of the NGO and their partner NGOs which would
indicate work on CLS at the level of the Union Parishads covered. (See Annex E for
the reporting format)
c) An Analytic Final Report that would summarize the information that was gathered
through the baseline interviews and information provided.
F. DELIVERABLES OF THE RESEARCH COMPANY
The research company is expected to provide the following deliverables during the
baseline study proper:
 Research Work plan – which will provide the details on how the research
company will execute the baseline study?
 Preliminary Report – a mid-term report providing the progress of the work done
120 | P a g e PMID
Services Project
 Final Report – consisting of the following:
o Completed Individual Interview Responses for each NGO interviewed
o Mapping Matrix on CLS Scope
o Analytic Report on the Study Conducted.
G. QUALIFICATIONS DESIRED FROM THE RESEARCH COMPANY
The research company should be able to provide a team leader who has a solid
background and understanding of community legal services and related work in human
rights, and governance. The company should also be able to provide sufficient number of
interviewers that will be able to complete the work within the time given for the study.
Team members who have extensive work in NGOs, especially those with a legal
component, would be desirable.
H. EXPECTED LEVEL OF EFFORT
The basis for payment and payment scheduling will be determined during contract negotiations.
The research firm will provide the CLS an estimate of the total costs involved in delivering all the
outputs of this project, together with a list of the people that will be involved in the undertaking,
together with their CVs and also a profile of the previous work done by the researcher/
institution in this area.
Activity No. of Person days

Preparation of the Work Plan 2
Baseline Information and Preparation for Field Work 4
Interviews with Eight Dhaka based organizations 26
Interviews with 5 NGOs based out of Dhaka 15
Follow through on information Gathering 3
Report Preparation 6
Report Finalization 6
TOTAL PERSON DAYS 62
I. BUDGET FOR THE BASELINE STUDY
The baseline study has been allocated a budget of SIX HUNDRED FORTY
THOUSAND (640,000.00) BDT. The proponent research firms may submit a financial
proposal which is lower but not higher than this said amount. Income tax and VAT will
be deducted as source as per the rules of Government of Bangladesh.
121 | P a g e PMID

Survey CLS Report PMID 2012

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Survey CLS Report PMID 2012

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Survey CLS Report PMID 2012

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES (CLS)

Mapping Exercise and Institutional Survey for

PMID Participatory Management Initiative for Development

CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION, BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE ................................................................................... 11

Dr. Akhter Hussain, Team Leader / Institutional Development Expert

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Introduction and Objectives

Approach and Methodology

Types of Community Legal Services (CLSs)

Organizational Mandate and Services

Community Legal Services (CLS) provided by the selected NGOs

Organization District Upazila Union

Partnership and cooperation with GO, CSOs and NGOs

Networks and Membership

Monitoring and follow up of CLS

Strengths and weaknesses of selected NGOs

Organization and management

Transparency and accountability

Conclusions and Way Forward

Extend Coverage by area and population

Establish Knowledge sharing mechanisms

1.1 Community Legal Services Project

1.2 Background and Rationale of the Baseline Study

1.3 Objectives of the baseline study

Conceptual outline of the Task

Inputs for Log-frame of the Project

Basis for Geographic Expansion Plan

Current scope and extent of CLS

Input for Log-frame of the Project

Governance Structure of NGOs

Assessment of Capacity of NGOs

Willingness to be part of the training

Area Total NGOs

2.2 Data Collection Methods and Tools

The methodology used for this purpose included:

Document Key informants

3.1 Constitutional and Legal Provisions

3.1.1 Constitutional Provisions

3.1.2 Legal Provisions

3.1.2.1 Legal Aid Service Act, 2000

3.1.2.2 The Village Courts Act, 2006

3.1.2.3 The Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961

This Ordinance provides for an Arbitration Council which is to be constituted by the

3.1.2.4 The Resolution of Dispute (Municipal Area) Board Act, 2004

3.1.2.5 The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908

3.1.2.6 Salish Ain, 2001 (Arbitration Act, 2001)

3.2 Types of Community Legal Services (CLSs)

3.2.1 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a mechanism through which two contesting

3.2.1.4 NGO Administered/ Assisted Shalish and Traditional Shalish

3.3 Legal Aid

3.3.2 NGO Based Legal Aid

3.3.3 Legal and Human Rights Awareness Programs

3.3.4 Local Justice

3.3.5 Investigation, Monitoring and Reporting of Human Rights Violations

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)

Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA)

 constant advocacy (i.e., lobbying for reform of law/policy, action