Law Sheet 4

Legal System of Bangladesh
Course Code : Law
Definition of Legal Aid: The concept legal aid denotes a wide meaning and includes counseling,
payment of lawyer's fees andother incidental cost for expenses of the litigation. The New
Encyclopedia Britannica defines legal aidas the professional legal assistance given, either free of
for a nominal sum, to indigent person is need for such help. The international commission
of jurists, in the definition of the term, includes the provision of the legal advice and
representation of the courts to all those threatened their life, liberty, property or reputation who
are unable to pay for it.
Legal professional use the phrase "Legal Aid' to mean any or more of the
following three issues-
1) Providing monetary assistance.
ii) ii) Counseling on any legal issue.
iii) iii) Defending a person in a court of law
Who is Eligible for Legal Aid
As per Rule 2 of the Legal Aid Rules 2001 the following persons will be entitled to receive
legal aid:
(1)Any freedom fighter incapable of earning or partly incapable or jobless or whose
yearly income is not more than taka 6,000
(ii) Any person who is receiving old age benefit;
(iii) Any helpless mother with V.G.D card;
(iv) Any women or children who are victims of illegal trafficking;
(v)Any women or children who are victims of acid throwing:
(vi) Any person who has been allotted a house or plot to any ideal village;
(vii) Poor widow, any poor women deserted by her husband;
(viii) Any handicapped person with earning incapability;
(ix) Any person who is financially incapable to protect or defend his rights in the court;
(X)Any person who is arrested under preventive detention law and is financiallyincapable to
defend his rights;
(X1) Any person who has been considered by the court financially incapable or poor
(xii) Any person who has been considered or recommended by the Jail Authority financially
incapable or poor;
(xiii) Any person considered by the Organization from time to time financially
incapable or poor for the purpose of the Legal Aid Act. For the purposes of the Legal Aid Act by
the term "financially incapable or poor" means any person whose yearly average income is not
more than taka 3000.00 only.