Free Legal Aid helps Hasina Begum, who, fourteen years ago at the age of 13, had a child marriage with Sagir Howladar according to the Islamic tradition. Later they had 4 children. Hasina is currently 27 years old. With 4 children, they spent their days in a family of poverty. Suddenly, her husband Sagir left Hasina and the children and moved to Dhaka in search of livelihood, leaving no trace of his whereabouts. Then Hasina and her family were in poor condition. Hasina started struggling to support her family. But Hasina came to know about FAIR Community Legal Service Center (CLSC), Khulna from her neighbors to get justice from her husband. Hasina came to the FAIR CLSC office on March 10, 2015, and filed a written complaint. His complaint number is KCCWA-0254.

Role of free legal aid in Hasina’s case

Free legal aid has played an important role in his time of crisis. FAIR CLSC took immediate steps to look into her complaint and initiate a mediation process. On the first day of mediation, Sagir could not be physically present but FAIR contacted CLSC through mobile phone. Both parties agreed to reconvene for another mediation session on July 8, 2015. Later they reached a solution.

Empowerment through support: Free legal aid gave Hasina the strength and confidence to face her problems head on. This gave her the platform she needed to voice her concerns and get justice for her children.

Facilitates effective communication: The mediation process created an opportunity for both Hasina and Sagir to discuss their issues openly. This open dialogue helped them resolve their grievances and find common ground.

Ensuring Timely Intervention: The prompt action taken by the FAIR CLSC ensured that Hasina’s case was handled efficiently, securing the future lives of her and her children.

Restoration of Family Harmony: Mediation has led to the peaceful resolution of their problems. Sagir accepts his mistake and agrees to work for a harmonious family life.

A new beginning for Hasina and Sagir

The mediation sessions at FAIR CLSC allowed for a wide-ranging discussion between Hasina and Sagir. Both acknowledged that both sides have issues that need to be addressed. The discussion helped them understand each other’s point of view and led to a mutual agreement to solve their problem.

Motivational change and support

Hasina’s story is a powerful example of how free legal aid can change lives. This story highlights the importance of legal services in ensuring a peaceful family life from depression. This success story serves as an inspiration for donors, beneficiaries, and stakeholders associated with FAIR CLSC. Free legal aid continues to play an important role in building a just and equitable society.

Conclusion

Free legal aid was instrumental in bringing peace and stability to Hasina Begum’s family. Her Story FAIR CLSC’s immediate action ensured that Hasina’s rights were protected and her family was reunited.

Note that FAIR, a rights-based development organization, is implementing the Making Women’s Legal Right a Reality in Bangladesh project in Khulna with the financial support of the Community Legal Service Project (UK Aid) in partnership with Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA). The Projects provide free legal aid to victims of violence, especially women, children, ethnic minorities, Dalits, and the poor.

N. B. The photo of the woman used in this story is not original. Created by AI.