DHAKA, April 15, 2020 (BSS) – The government through its National Legal Aid Services Organisation (NLASO) is providing 24/7 free legal advices and information to justice seekers in spite of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
“The toll free number ‘16430’ of NLASO helpline has been kept on 24 hours to provide any kind of free legal advices and information to people staying at their homes amid this ongoing COVID-19 situation,” a notification signed by NLASO assistant director Masuda Yasmin said today.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the National Legal Aid Day on April 28, 2016, launched the service and it has become more and more popular with the passing of time. In the first two years since its inception, a total of 25,887 people had received free legal advice through the toll-free number till March, 2018.
A total of 33,979 people received legal advice and information by dialing the toll-free number in 2018-2019.
“People can get legal advice, legal information, counselling, primary information about filing a case and advice regarding national legal aid, and they can also file complaints regarding the service through the helpline,” NLASO sources said.
The NLASO is a statutory body working under the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to adopt policies and principles for making legal services available under the Legal Aid Services Act, 2000.
Any poor person is entitled to get free legal aid services. Besides, any individual receiving old-age allowance, distressed mother holding a VGD card, women and children victims of trafficking and acid throwing, insolvent widow, abandoned or distressed woman, disabled person and poor detainee can avail of the free legal services.