Accelerating Digital Legal Aid in Bangladesh: Justice Within Reach for All

Bangladesh is stepping into a new era of justice delivery by embracing digital transformation to serve its most marginalized communities. With support from the European Union, the National Legal Aid Services Organization (NLASO) and UNDP Bangladesh are advancing a project to roll out digital legal aid services in eight pilot districts. This initiative is designed to simplify access to justice, reduce case backlogs, and rebuild public trust in legal institutions. It takes place in the context of fundamental justice reforms, including the elevation of legal aid services and backlog reduction.

The two-day workshop held on 24 and 25 January was a milestone in this journey. It created a space where policymakers, judicial representatives, District Legal Aid Officers, lawyers, and development partners came together to co-create a blueprint for a next-generation digital legal aid platform. The discussions centered on making justice more people-centered, with tools that simplify application processes, introduce smart case-tracking mechanisms, enable online mediation, and ensure transparent service delivery.

Speaking at the opening session, Sonali Dayaratne, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh, said, "this workshop creates a rare and valuable space for district-level experience to directly shape national digital systems." She also added that the participants' insights from the two-day workshop will "directly shape the functional requirements, digital workflows, and overall system design."

Dr. Michal Krejza, Head of Development Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, highlighted the importance of a bottom-up approach, noting, "this workshop is not only about technology. It is about public service delivery. It is about building a system that helps legal aid institutions do three things better: reach more people, manage cases more effectively, and demonstrate results transparently." He also pointed out that the system must help legal aid institutions reach more people and manage cases more effectively while demonstrating results with full transparency.

Chairing the session, Sk. Ashfaqur Rahman, Executive Director of NLASO, emphasized the need for modernization, stating, "legal aid is not a charity but Justice fulfilling its own promise." He underscored that "Justice should be near, visible, and reachable." He also highlighted the positive impact of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), particularly in reducing the need for in-person service delivery, while noting that effective ODR systems require substantial resources and international expertise.

The workshop is expected to deliver a Functional Requirements Document, validated digital workflows, and strengthened stakeholder buy-in. These outcomes will serve as the foundation for Bangladesh's future Digital Legal Aid System, ensuring that justice is not only accessible but also efficient and transparent. Together with other reforms, such as pre-case mediation, these digital tools tailor Bangladesh's justice system to better meet the needs of court users and help rebuild public trust in justice services.