As the lockdown continues in Bangladesh, the services and amenities that were once easy to access for citizens are now beyond the reach of many.

With little to no court functions taking place during the past few weeks, defendants who had already secured bail were facing severe difficulty. For many defendants, bail orders were issued a couple of days before the countrywide lockdown began on March 26, and they have not received the documents. Unable to access legal aid services for assistance, they felt helpless. 

On April 22, Abul Hasnat Khan called the 24-hour national helpline number for legal aid, 16430. He explained that his paternal uncle Md Hamid Khan had been issued a bail order from a Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Sirajganj on March 24, but nearly one month later the order still had not reached him in Mymensingh Jail where he had been serving his time.

The case was instantly reported to the monitoring officer of the legal aid helpline centre, who contacted the Judge of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal. The Tribunal Judge discovered that the bail order and document was forwarded to Mymensigh Jail superintendent via the Sirajganj Jail Superintendent, but the physical copy had not reached Mymensingh Jail due to the lockdown.

With approval from the National Legal Aid Services Organization (NLASO), the Jail Superintendent of Sirajganj arranged for e-mail transfer of all necessary documents, and as soon as his counterpart in Mymensingh received it, he arranged for Md Hamid Khan’s release on bail. The entire process was completed in just six hours.

Through a joint initiative by the National Legal Aid Services Organization (NLASO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the legal aid helpline center, 16430, was established in 2013 and successfully resumed the functioning of this services during the Public Holidays amidst of the COVID 19 outbreak in Bangladesh from 12 April till now to help citizens in need of legal assistance. Connecting personnel of the judiciary with this initiative has resulted in a fast and efficient process of securing bail for defendants. 

During the COVID-19 crisis, such coordinated efforts can bring significant positive change in the lives of citizens who face difficulties in getting legal services or are facing any form of violence during the quarantine period. The 16430 hotline is available at all hours of the day, every day, for all citizens of Bangladesh regardless of their socio-economic status, location, age, or gender. UNDP considers the right to justice universal, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, to make sure that no one is left behind due to lack of access to legal services