Madaripur Legal Aid Association (Mlaa)

Since Bangladesh`s emergence as a new nation, the rule of law and human rights situation have deteriorated markedly. The pursuit of justice becomes particularly difficult for the vast majority of poor and disadvantaged people, especially women. A small group of dedicated lawyers and social workers have taken the initiative to offer free legal assistance to those in need in formal courts. Their efforts proved fruitful and led the group to officially establish the Madaripur Legal Aid Association – MLAA in March 1978. Objectives: To improve access to justice and human rights for human participation: • improving access to formal justice; • promoting an effective judicial system in local communities; • contributing to the establishment of the rule of law and a culture of human rights in Bangladesh; • raising awareness of human rights among NGO workers, students, teachers and citizens. • ensuring the institutionalization of alternative dispute resolution through the dissemination and replication of the Madaripur mediation model; • Ensure access to justice and human rights for the poor through political advocacy; • advocating reforms of the legal system to make it more systematic, dynamic and acceptable; and • supporting vulnerable people in the event of natural and climate-related disasters with the aim of fulfilling the human rights obligation to respect the right to life. Provision of free legal aid services: disadvantaged and poor persons, especially women, who are denied access to justice, are identified for free legal aid; A follow-up strategy will be followed to monitor the implementation of the Court`s judgment; free legal advice and legal aid; medical assistance for injured victims and travel assistance for customers. The Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA) was founded in March 1978 and is a registered NGO with the vision of a just society where the rule of law and human rights are respected. MLAA strives to ensure access to justice and human rights for all, regardless of gender, caste, creed, religion, race through informal court proceedings and a formal justice system. The main objective of the MLAA is access to justice and empowerment of disadvantaged people, especially women and children: • expanding access to formal justice; • promoting an effective judicial system in local communities; • contributing to the establishment of the rule of law and a culture of human rights in Bangladesh; • raising awareness of human rights among NGO workers, students, teachers and citizens.

• ensuring the institutionalization of alternative dispute resolution through the dissemination and replication of the Madaripur mediation model; • Ensuring access to justice and human rights for the poor through political advocacy • advocating reforms of the legal system to make it more systematic, dynamic and acceptable; and • supporting vulnerable people in the event of natural and climate-related disasters with the aim of fulfilling the human rights obligation to respect the right to life. Activities • Provision of free legal aid services • Dispute resolution through mediation • Activation of the UP judicial system (village court and arbitration board) • Advocacy and networking • Disaster management • Institutional capacity building through training programmes at the MLAA Training and Resource Centre (TARC) • Multi-stakeholder capacity building • Monitoring and evaluation Fazlul Huq is secretary of the Association Madaripur Legal Aid (MLAA). Our mission is to build an egalitarian society. Access to justice for all is the cornerstone. In the beginning, our main approach was to represent our clients in formal courts free of charge. Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA), a pioneering NGO working in the field of legal aid and local justice since 1978. And to strengthen its program, MLAA has set up a library in the Training and Resource Center. Mission: MLAA will strive to ensure access to justice and legal rights for all people, regardless of gender, caste, creed, religion, sexual orientation, race and people living with HIV/AIDS through informal judicial processes and a formal justice system. b) Training materials and modules: The Association has developed several resource materials on legal assistance, mediation and human rights, which are used as training materials and for knowledge dissemination and transfer. The MLAA training module is used as a resource to conduct various trainings. Dispute Resolution through Mediation: MLAA has developed a modern and professional mediation approach, currently known as the Madaripur Mediation Model (MMM). People are more interested in resolving minor disputes at the local level because of delays, harassment, and spending money on court cases.

The Dispute Conciliation Board (Municipal Areas) Act, 2004 is more commonly used by people who want to resolve minor disputes and do not seek help from the courts to save money and reduce harassment. Similarly, village courts settle minor disputes between the population at the trade union level. Although there is no such for about 20 million people living in 12 urban corporations of the country. Therefore, the new law is necessary to settle minor disputes with the city administration. Secondary beneficiaries: UP representatives, students, teachers, village elites, women leaders, members of rural civil society, journalists, legislators, judicial officials, law enforcement and NGO activists.