Bangladesh Links:
Dispute Resolution and Legal Development
Compiled by Catherine Morris
This page aims to provide links to selected government and civil society organizations, agencies and individuals working in areas of legal development, alternative dispute resolution (ADR), court caseflow management, human rights, violence prevention, good governance, and related areas in Bangladesh. There is also information about research resources including libraries, news sources, and bibliographies on Bangladesh. Readers are invited to contribute information that will enhance the purposes and completeness of this links page. Peacemakers Trust has created these links for research purposes only, and cannot take any responsibility for the content of any third party web sites. The inclusion of a link to a site does not imply endorsement of the site contents, nor does it imply any association with the site by Peacemakers Trust.
ADR, Conflict Resolution, Peacemaking, and Non-Violence
Development
Governance
Human Rights and Legal Development
International Organizations, Donors and INGOs
Laws and Policies including International Conventions
Libraries and Other Resources
News and Information Sources
Orientation for those new to working in Bangladesh
Online Bibliographies on Bangladesh
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Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Conflict Resolution, Peacemaking and Non-Violence
Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK), Center for Law and Mediation. This is a human rights and legal aid organisation established in 1986 and has consultative status with UNESCO.
Bangladesh Inter-religious Council for Peace and Justice (BICPAJ). 14/20 Iqbal Road, Mohammedpur, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh, Phone: 8802-323630, Fax: 8802-81913123, Contact person: Bro. Jarlath D'souza.
Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST). BLAST has a rural mediation program, and conducts legal advocacy concerning women's economic rights, public interest litigation.
Center for Policy Dialogue. CPD's mission is to stimulate public debate, generate knowledge and influence policy through multistakeholder participatory processes. CPD has conducted policy dialogue on land administration issues. Land disputes are a large sources of civil and criminal cases in Bangladesh.
Madaripur Legal Aid Association. Community-based mediation, women's access to justice, women's mediation training project for village shalish processes.
Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. The Ministry of Law initiated a pilot program in Comilla offering Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in some civil cases. The judicial mediation program in the District-level family courts has also been implemented in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs. This Ministry has a legal aid clinic and dispute resolution program.
Legal Development, Human Rights and Juvenile Justice
Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK), Center for Law and Mediation. This is a human rights and legal aid organisation established in 1986 and has consultative status with UNESCO.
Aparajeyo Bangladesh (AB). AB is a national child rights organization founded in 1976 to work with children living in and around the slums of the Dhaka city. In 1989, it started to serve children living on streets. AB also promotes and protects rights of other socially excluded children.
3/20, Humayun Road, Block-B
Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207
email: info [at] aparajeyo [dot] org
Asian Human Rights Commission. AHRC is based in Hong Kong. See its pages on Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Bar Council. The Bar Council is responsible for bar admission. Its Legal Education Committee conducts a Continuing Legal Education Program (CLEP) for lawyers.
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association. BELA's mission is to use legal mechanisms toward environmental sustainability in Bangladesh. BELA conducts training for lawyers, civil servants, judges, NGOs and journalists. It also conducts public education through television, bill boards, puppet shows and publications. It is also involved in public interest litigation and dispute resolution in environmental conflicts. House 9, Road-8,Dhanmondi R/A Dhaka-1205 GPO Box:3015, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tel (880-2) 964283,868706, fax: (880-2)962957 E-Mail: bela@bangla.net.
Bangladesh Human Rights Network. BHRN is an independent network of media professionals and activists working to develop local criteria for human rights practices. It advocates democratic principles including grassroots public participation, and addresses social inequalities at national and international levels. Site includes a list of human rights organizations in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR). BIHR was founded in 1992 for awareness, protection and promotion of human rights. Facebook
Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST). BLAST is the largest legal aid deliverer in Bangladesh including legal advocacy concerning women's economic rights, public interest litigation and a well-known rural mediation program.
Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims (BRCT). This organization provides relief and legal assistance to torture survivors and their families, as well as conducting information workshops and advocacy for prevention of torture.
Bangladesh Manabadhikar Bastabayan Shangstha (BMBS). Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR), 48 Bijoy Nagar Road, Dhaka-1000, Tel.(880-2)40-9298; 41-7654; 23-2133; 23-3741. Fax.(880-2)86-36-89.
Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association. Women's economic and legal rights education, reports on trafficking of women and children.
Bangladesh Retired Police Officers Welfare Association. This organization's mandate is to provide assistance to retired police officers and their families. However, the BRPOWA has a juvenile justice program in which they monitor and advocate for more appropriate placement of children they find in adult jails. They also conduct education for police in child rights.
Centre for Women and Children Studies. CWCS conducts training for police in gender and child rights and sensitivity. 92, New Eskaton Road, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh, 880-2-9351126.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB). CAB conducts consumer education, advocates for consumer protection, and conducts some consumer protection advocacy. Telephone (880-2) 9562858, e-mail cab@spaninn.com.
The Coordinating Council for Human Rights in Bangladesh (Bangladesh Manobadhikar Samonnoy Parishad). CCHRB is a non-governmental organisation which was set up in 1986 to coordinate information and activities of human rights organisations and development NGOs in Bangladesh. It currently represents 200 human rights organizations. 4/3 Block - E, Zakir Hossain Road, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207. Fax.(880-2081-30-95 (Attn. BMSP/CCHRB)
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The FBCCI is the apex body for chambers of commerce in Bangladesh. The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry conducts services for several thousand members, mainly small and medium sized businesses. The DCCI conducts training for business owners and conducts policy advocacy, including lobbying for consumer protection legislation.
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM). A worldwide movement for protection of human rights of people in Bangladesh, particularly minorities in Bangladesh. HRCBM works with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct, and to bring offenders to justice. HRCBM publishes The Human Rights Tribune. HRCBM-Dhaka, 41/O Azimpur Estate,(3rd Floor), Yathimkhana Lane, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Telephone: 0171-172468; Fax: 088-02-9669126.
Madaripur Legal Aid Association. MLAA conducts community-based mediation and is concerned with women's access to justice. MLAA has a women's mediation training project.
Media Watch. 4F Eastern housing, 4 circuit house Road, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. Mailing Address: GPO Box 3521, Ramna, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tel: +880 2 8318608/+88 0 1 8223309, Fax: +880 2 956 7070.
Naripokkho. This activist organization conducts research, policy advocacy on women's rights, including health and reproductive rights, violence and women's human rights, gender and development and women in the media. The emphasis is on reducing violence against women. They provide support to women who have been victims of violence including support during investigation and court proceedings. Naripokkho is also involved with the Campaign Against Acid Violence which started in Bangladesh in 1995.
Odhikar. This rights organization conducts human rights education, advocacy, and research. Odhikar publishes annual human rights reports on Bangladesh.
National Bar Association of Bangladesh. This is the apex body for district bar associations throughout Bangladesh including the Dhaka Bar Association.
Supreme Court Bar Association of Bangladesh. Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh.
World Vision Bangladesh, Dhaka. World Vision Bangladesh serves more than three million people in Bangladesh.
Laws and Policies, including International Treaties (English) and Comparative Legislation and Policy in other Countries
Bayefsky.com valuable pages on Bangladesh's treaty signatures, ratifications, reservations, reports and other documents.
Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Found on the official government website.
The Heidelberg Bangladesh Law Translation Project. See the table of contents of laws translated.
The Heidelberg Bangladesh Law Translation Project. These translations are for academic purpose and have not been authorized by the Bangladesh government.
International Labour Organization (ILO). This page provides information on Bangladesh's ratifications of ILO Conventions with links through to the text of the relevant conventions. This page also provides information on Bangladesh's constitution and laws as well as other resources. See the ILO summary page on Bangladesh.
Parliament of Bangladesh. Legislative Information Centre.
United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty. General Assembly resolution 45/113of 14 December 1990.
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice, 1985, UN High Commission for Human Rights.
World Law: Bangladesh. A global catalog and search engine for various law and law-related topics, sponsored by the Australasian Legal Information Institute and the ADB. Includes a short article about ADR (referring to arbitration) law in Bangladesh.
Ethical Principles for Judges (pdf file), Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Judicial Council, 1998.
Values and Ethics in the Federal Public Sector, Chapter 12 in Report of the Auditor General of Canada, October 2000.
A Strong Foundation (pdf file). Report of the Task Force on Public Service Values and Ethics. John C. Tait, Q.C., Chair, 2000.
Youth Criminal Justice Act (2002, c. 1), Revised Statutes of Canada (unofficial version).
International Donors, International Human Rights NGOs and International Organizations
American Center of the United States Embassy. In 2003, the American Center has been cooperating with the Bangladesh Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on ADR training for judges and lawyers.
Amnesty International. This page contains Amnesty International's reports about Bangladesh. See AI's "International Principles of Juvenile Justice". Also see AI's 1997 comments on Proposed standards for a national human rights commission.
Asia Development Bank. This is the ADB's page on Bangladesh. Search the ADB site to locate information and reports on projects related to law and policy reform in Bangladesh.
The Asia Foundation works in areas of elections, local governance, human rights, law, alternative dispute resolution, business development and regional economic cooperation. A listing of The Asia Foundation's programs in Bangladesh is available on this site.
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). CIDA has a legal reform project in Bangladesh in cooperation with the Bangladesh government.
Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
Department of Foreign International Development, UK. This is DFID's country profile on Bangladesh.
Global IDP Database. This is the Bangladesh Information page of this global data base on internal displacement around the world supported by various governmantal and non-governmental aid agencies.
Human Rights Watch (HRW). This page hosted by Human Rights Watch contains HRW reports about Bangladesh.
IRIS Centre for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector. IRIS is a US-based organization with a project in Bangladesh on Legal and Judicial Reforms, including case management and court administration.
Norwegian Development Cooperation in Bangladesh. Among Norway's main sectors for development are Women and Gender Equality and Human Rights and Democracy including access to justice.
Oxfam. Oxfam in Bangladesh supports work of partner organisations on consumer rights, working conditions in informal work sectors including sex workers, women working in the garment industry, and indigenous peoples's land issues.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB). TIB works to curb corruption and improve governance in the public, private and non-governmental sectors.
United Nations System in Bangladesh. This site provides access to various UN programs in Bangladesh as well as the IMF and the World Bank.
USAid Democracy, Human Rights and Governance. The emphasis of USAid in Bangladesh is on anti-corruption, access to justice, effective parliamentary processes, governance including strengthening local government, and human rights protection.
World Bank Dhaka Office. This site contains information about World Bank Projects, publications and other information about development in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) (Bangladesh Unnayan Gabeshona Protishthan) conducts multi-disciplinary policy research on development issues relevant to Bangladesh.
BRAC. BRAC, 5 Mohakhali Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; Tel: (880-2) 9881265-72; Fax: (880-2) 8823542, 8823614. BRAC was formerly known as Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee. It was set up in 1972 as a relief organization to resettle refugees returning to Bangladesh from India after Bangladesh's Liberation War. Since then, BRAC has had its focus on poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor, especially women, in the rural areas of Bangladesh. BRAC's work includes a Legal Literacy program.
sos-arsenic.net. The site of the SOS Arsenic project. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Jamal Anwar.
Sustainable Development Networking Program Bangladesh (SDNP Bangladesh) is a project aiming at exchange of information/knowledge among development partners, academics, policy makers and civil society in Bangladesh and internationally for the purpose of sustainable development in Bangladesh.
West Bengal and Bangladesh Arsenic Crisis Information Centre. An online focal point for information about the arsenic poising disaster in Bangladesh and West Bengal where millions of people's drinking water is heavily contaminated with arsenic. The site contains news, scientific papers, links to other sites.
Bangladesh Election Commission.
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. This official government website containing links to Ministries, Departments and other resources.
Parliament of Bangladesh. Legislative Information Centre.
Transparency International Bangladesh. Includes documents, reports, links.
UBINIG. UBINIG is the abbreviation of Unnayan Bikalper Nitinirdharoni Gobeshona (Policy Research for Development Alternatives), an organization for policy advocacy and research in Dhaka since 1984.
National Library of Bangladesh. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar(Agargaon), Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh, Telephone: +880 2 313969, 326572. The government-funded National Library has a collection of about 200,000 books and 200,000 volumes of serials in Bengali, English, Persian and Arabic. It is a deposit library for all important Bangladeshi publications.
Bangladesh Central Public Library. 3 Liaquat Avenue, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh, Telephone: +880 2 500819, 500839. In addition to the central library there are regional libraries in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna plus fifty eight district libraries. The collection focuses on textbooks with about 70% of the collection in Bengali and the rest in English. Central catalogue with Bengali call numbers at the Bangladesh Central Public Library.
Bangladesh National Archives. National Library Building, 32, Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Agargaon, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh, Telephone: +880 2 326572, 313969, 312733. The National Library and the National Archives are housed in the same building and have the same director. Contains district records, proceedings, secretariat records, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner's office records, old newspapers, Government Gazettes, press clippings, old maps and other old archival materials, records in print form produced by the British authorities, gazettes and correspondence transferred from Calcutta in 1947.
Other depository libraries. Asia Development Bank Depository Library Program: Bangladesh.
Relief Web postings on Bangladesh.
BBC News: South Asia. See also the BBC's Country Profile: Bangladesh
EIN News: Bangladesh. Bangladesh newsfeeds (subscription required).
Institute for Conflict Management, New Delhi, has various reports on Bangladesh.
Virtual Bangladesh. This extensive site includes basic facts about Bangladesh and links to news sources.
Online Bibliographies on Bangladesh
Legal Development and Dispute Resolution in Bangladesh: A Selected Bibliography. In progress list being compiled by Peacemakers Trust, 2002.
Asia Development Publications: Bangladesh. Searchable cataloque of ADB publications.
Bangladesh: An Overview. South Asia Bibliographies, University of California at Berkeley.
Bibliography, in Bangladesh: A Country Study. Federal Research Division Library of Congress Country Studies/Area Handbook Program, 1988.
Bibliography on Grameen Bank, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh.
Child Rights Information Network (CRIN): Bangladesh. CRIN is a global network for children's rights.
Feminism in Bangladesh: References, Mahmuda Islam, Women for Women in Bangladesh, 1998 (Scroll down on page).
Corruption: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography, prepared by Mohammad Mohabbat Khan, Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Dhaka for Transparency International, 1997 (pdf).
Orientation for those new to working in Bangladesh
Contic River Cruises, a travel organization in Bangladesh offers tailored cultural orientation to Bangladesh for those new to the country. Also offers travel services.
Eastern House, Road #24, House #04, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh. Tel: +880-2-9887370,9882216,882808. Fax: +880-2-886398 E-mail: eghouse@citechco.net, or eghouse@spaninn.com. Eastern House is a modest and comfortable guest house in the diplomatic area of Dhaka within comfortable walking distance of the Canadian Club, banks, restaurants and shopping. Fifteen minutes from the International Airport. Telephones in rooms. Internet available.
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