DHAKA, Oct 31, 2024 (BSS) - Around 1, 21,630 prisoners got legal assistance at the government expenses through National Legal Aid Services (NLAS), an official release said.

The prisoners have got the services through NLAS from 2009 to till September of 2024, said the report published on the organisation's website.

The chief justice has recently asked all concerned to provide legal aid services to the accused in the criminal cases if they have no lawyers to move before the court for them.

A total of 4, 42,096 legal advices have been bestowed on the insolvent litigants as legal aid helped them realizing Tk 217, 59, 61,858 as compensation during the period, the report said.

The government in its own cost has so far extended the legal aid services to 11, 10,036 insolvent litigants in 4, 03,201 cases. A total of 2, 03,032 cases have so far been disposed of through the NLAS.

Of the litigants, 28,016 individuals have got free legal aid services through Supreme Court Legal Aid Office while 28,853 through labour legal aid services cell in Dhaka and Chattogram, 1,78,0506 through the NLAS toll free hotline call centre number 16430 and 17,328 got the services through the hotline prior to introducing the NLAS hotline.

Some 1, 29,038 cases have so far been resolved through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) out of 1, 42,612 cases. The beneficiaries of the ADR system stand at 2, 43,512.