Lawyers shun marginalised cases over low fees: Law minister

Many skilled and experienced lawyers are unwilling to provide legal aid services to poor and disadvantaged people because of low fees and the absence of advance government funding for case-related expenses, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman has said.

The minister made the remarks while responding to a written question from Cumilla-4 lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah in parliament today (21 June). 

Hasnat sought details about shortcomings in the government's legal aid programme, including limited public awareness, bureaucratic complexities, low remuneration for panel lawyers and challenges in digital integration with NGOs.

In his response, the law minister said the government had upgraded the National Legal Aid Services Organisation (NLASO) into the Bangladesh Legal Aid Department through the passage of the Legal Aid Services (Amendment) Act, 2026 during parliament's first session on 9 April.

He said the move had created a stronger legal framework for establishing departmental offices outside Dhaka and expanding legal services from metropolitan areas down to the union level. 

Initiatives have also been taken to expand the department's workforce structure, he added.

Lawyers reluctant due to low fees

Asaduzzaman acknowledged that government-set fees for legal aid work remain a key challenge.

"Many skilled and experienced lawyers are not interested in working as legal aid panel lawyers because the fees fixed by the government are relatively low," he said.

He added that lawyers often have to bear initial expenses, including case filing costs, court fees and obtaining certified copies of documents, as there is no provision for advance government funding for such expenditures.

"As a result, lawyers face additional financial pressure. Considering these practical challenges, the government has already increased panel lawyers' fees by 30% and has taken steps to make the remuneration structure more reasonable," he said.

Expansion of digital legal aid services

Asaduzzaman said the government is implementing various programmes to expand legal aid services among marginalised communities and increase public awareness.

Under a joint government-UNDP digital legal aid project, work is underway to establish digital centres in 300 unions, launch mobile applications and an upgraded online portal, and enhance the capacity of the toll-free legal aid helpline 16699.

The government is also conducting courtyard meetings, public hearings, street theatre programmes, seminars and leaflet distribution campaigns, alongside special awareness activities in educational institutions. National Legal Aid Day is also being observed across the country to promote the service.

Challenges in NGO integration

The minister also highlighted technical and legal challenges in integrating government legal aid services with NGO-operated digital systems.

According to him, differences in operational procedures, data management systems and accountability frameworks between government and non-government organisations have made integration difficult.

He said the absence of a unified data-sharing policy, separate case management systems and the need to protect beneficiaries' personal information remain the main obstacles.

However, the government is working to develop a secure, coordinated and effective digital legal aid system by formulating necessary policies, strengthening technological capacity, ensuring data protection and enhancing coordination among government agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders, he added.

59 convicted in July uprising cases, 13 get death penalty

Responding to another question from Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Masum Mostafa (Netrokona-5), Asaduzzaman told the parliament that a total of 59 accused have been convicted in seven cases over crimes against humanity committed during the July Uprising, with 13 of them sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).

The remaining convicts received life imprisonment or various other prison terms, he added.

The Law Minister also said 80 cases have so far been filed in this connection.

Judgments have so far been delivered in seven cases while proceedings in the remaining 73 cases are ongoing, he added.

Of the pending cases, 22 are currently at the witness testimony stage while investigations are underway in 51 cases, he said.

The minister told the house that a total of 463 individuals have been accused in crimes against humanity cases linked to the July 2024 events.

Among them, 174 accused have been arrested, 288 remain fugitives, one accused has died and one has been acquitted, he added.

23,865 politically motivated cases withdrawn so far

In response to a written question from lawmaker Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, the minister said the house that the government has so far withdrawn 23,865 cases identified as politically motivated and filed with the intent to harass individuals.

In his reply, the law minister said it was not possible to determine the exact number of politically motivated cases filed against BNP and Jamaat leaders and activists, as political affiliation is not mentioned in first information reports (FIRs) at the time of filing cases.

However, citing information provided by BNP's central office, the minister said a total of 142,983 false and politically motivated cases had been filed against BNP leaders and activists between 2007 and 11 January 2025.

He stressed that the government also formed a four-member committee in each district on 5 March 2026, headed by the district magistrate, to examine and recommend the withdrawal of politically motivated cases.

The committees review withdrawal applications, FIRs, certified copies of charge sheets where applicable, and opinions from public prosecutors.

If a committee finds that a case was filed for political harassment, that there is no public interest in continuing prosecution, and that pursuing the case could be detrimental to the state, it recommends withdrawal to the government, he added.