Grameen Swapna

Human Rights and Legal Aid Services (HRLS):
Promoting legal empowerment as a pathway out of poverty. In a democratic country it is a prerequisite that all citizens get economic and social justice. Therefore, as long as poor exist in the society, legal aid will be necessary to uphold human rights and equality. Ensuring basic human rights is the heart of development. Grameen Swapna’s human rights and legal aid services (HRLS) programme is dedicated to protecting and promoting human rights of the poor and marginalized through legal empowerment. It is especially concerned with ensuring the rights of the poor and marginalized amongst whom women are particularly vulnerable. From its inception, HRLS has sought to protect the poor from discrimination by providing legal aid and representation. Recognizing that existing socioeconomic arrangements marginalize the poor from formal and informal legal systems, the programme stresses legal empowerment of the poor by providing training in human rights, raising awareness of the existing laws of Bangladesh, and mechanisms for gaining a hearing from legal institutions and administrative authorities. This programme creates an enabling environment for vulnerable and excluded communities to seek justice through formal and informal systems. HRLS is the largest NGO-led legal aid initiative of Grameen Swapna. We ensure proper and equal access to justice for poor and marginalized people.