How grassroots legal aid helps women and girls reclaim their dignity across Bangladesh
Women facing domestic violence, abuse over dowry, or child marriage frequently encounter enormous barriers before they can even seek legal help. But community-based aid can empower them
When Fulki Khatun returned to her father's house with her child in her arms, neither she nor her family knew what the future held.
It was May 2025. Just days earlier, she had been beaten and thrown out of her marital home in Fakirpur village of Pabna after failing to meet another dowry demand from her husband and in-laws. Fulki's family had already borrowed heavily to pay nearly Tk65,000 over time, hoping the payments would stop the abuse.
But the violence never stopped.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
This time, the demand was Tk2.5 lakh, an overwhelming amount for the financially struggling family.
Fulki had left school after Class 6 because her parents could not afford her education any longer. Like many poor families in rural Bangladesh, they believed early marriage would provide security for their daughter. Instead, it became the beginning of years of humiliation, violence, and extortion.
When she finally returned home, exhausted and heartbroken, no one seemed able to help.
Local mediation efforts did not work. Neighbours started gossiping. She was blamed for returning. Others simply advised her to stay silent and "adjust".
When Fulki was almost losing hope, a local adolescent girl came to her rescue. She informed her of BRAC's Swapnosarothi platform and told her about BRAC's Social Empowerment and Legal Protection (SELP) programme.
For Fulki, that conversation changed a lot of things.
Within days, she had filed a complaint at the BRAC Legal Aid Centre in Pabna. The programme intervened immediately through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), facilitating negotiations between both parties. On 22 June 2025, Fulki received Tk1.6 lakh back from her in-laws.
Across Bangladesh, thousands of women share stories similar to Fulki's — stories shaped by violence, abandonment, child marriage, social stigma, and inaccessible justice systems. Many of those stories are also becoming inspiration of resistance and hope, because of BRAC's SELP programme.
This year, that work received national recognition when SELP was awarded the Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Contribution to Legal Aid Services during National Legal Aid Day 2026 celebrations in Bangladesh.
But behind the award lies something much larger than institutional recognition.
SELP is working to help women reclaim dignity as girls increasingly resist child marriage, and communities slowly rethink deeply rooted social norms.
Justice beyond courtrooms
Justice is a far cry for people who belong to the marginalised groups in Bangladesh.
Women facing domestic violence, dowry abuse, abandonment, inheritance disputes, or child marriage frequently encounter enormous barriers before they can even seek help. Fear of social shame, financial dependency, complicated legal procedures, and pressure from families often force survivors into silence.
For many women, the legal system feels distant and overwhelming.
"For a woman from a remote village, seeking justice can mean travelling long distances, losing daily income, and attending dozens of court hearings over several years. Many simply want justice closer to their communities. That is why grassroots legal aid services are so important — they bring support closer to vulnerable women who otherwise might never seek help." ATM Morshed Alam, Lead, Legal Aid and Policy Advocacy, SELP
"In legal aid, we often talk about three major barriers — time, cost and repeated court visits. For a woman from a remote village, seeking justice can mean travelling long distances, losing daily income, and attending dozens of court hearings over several years," ATM Morshed Alam, Lead, Legal Aid and Policy Advocacy, SELP.
"Research shows that nearly 70% of women who experience violence never report it. Many people simply want justice closer to their communities. That is why grassroots legal aid services are so important — they bring support closer to vulnerable women who otherwise might never seek help," Morshed added.
Operating across 33 districts through 268 legal aid clinics, the programme provides free legal aid, counselling, mediation support, referrals, and community-based protection services directly within communities.
In 2025 alone, more than 25,000 people received legal aid support through the programme, nearly 90% of them women.
At the same time, SELP's legal awareness activities reached approximately 1.1 million people across the country.
The programme resolved more than 17,000 disputes through Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms and helped recover approximately $3.435 million — nearly Tk42 crore — in dower, maintenance, and inheritance claims in 2025 alone.
For many women, these are not just financial settlements.
They are opportunities to survive independently after violence or abandonment.
A woman reclaiming inheritance rights may finally secure housing for herself and her children. Furthermore, many women can in turn continue their daughter's education instead of marrying her off early.
Legal empowerment becomes economic empowerment.
And for survivors already emotionally exhausted, SELP's community-based mediation approach often offers a more humane alternative to prolonged court battles.
Reclaiming dignity after violence
Farzana Akter Bobi understands this deeply.
The eldest daughter of a family from Joypurhat district, Farzana had completed her BA degree before marrying in October 2024. Like many newly married women, she entered her marriage believing she was beginning a stable new chapter of life.
Her family contributed beyond their means to support the marriage — cash for a motorcycle, gold ornaments, and household gifts. Her dower was fixed at Tk4 lakh.
But the happiness did not last.
Soon after marriage, her husband took away the jewellery given to her. When she protested, the abuse began.
The violence was not only physical. Farzana faced emotional humiliation, isolation, intimidation, and repeated mistreatment inside her own home. Requests for care and dignity were met with cruelty.
On 5 July 2025, after another severe incident, she was forced out of the house entirely.
Emotionally devastated and uncertain where to turn, Farzana approached BRAC's Legal Aid Centre in Joypurhat on 3 August 2025.
The programme immediately initiated mediation efforts and legal counselling. After several rounds of negotiation, her husband agreed to participate in ADR sessions facilitated by BRAC.
On 26 August 2025, the dispute was resolved.
Farzana received Tk4.15 lakh in dower and maintenance.
But the outcome meant far more than money.
For Farzana, it represented recognition that the violence she endured was wrong — and that her rights mattered. Today, she is living safely with her parents and rebuilding her future with renewed confidence.
"In every upazila where we work, we have an office with trained legal aid staff whose responsibility is to provide legal support to community members," Morshed Alam said.
Empowering girls before violence begins
SELP also focuses on prevention — especially among adolescent girls vulnerable to child marriage.
Bangladesh continues to have one of the world's highest rates of child marriage, particularly in rural communities where poverty and social pressure often push families to marry daughters early.
Through its adolescent girls' platform Swapnosarothi, SELP works to challenge that cycle.
The programme provides life-skills training, confidence-building sessions, legal awareness, and leadership opportunities that help girls make informed decisions about their futures.
In 2025 alone, more than 7,000 girls crossed the age of 18 unmarried — a major milestone in communities where early marriage remains common.
Shashwatee Biplob, Associate Director of Brac's Gender, Justice and Diversity (GJD) and SELP programme said, "One of the major drivers of violence against women in Bangladesh is child marriage. We believe that if this practice can be prevented, the overall rate of violence against women will also decline. To challenge this social reality, we work with around 65,000 adolescent girls across the country.
On one hand, we raise awareness about their rights; on the other, we help them develop life skills and realise their potential. We encourage them to dream of a safe, independent, and dignified future — dreams that build confidence and protect them from the devastating consequences of child marriage.
We call them Swapnosarothi — companions of dreams. Our hope is that one day these girls will help transform Bangladesh, becoming not only architects of their own futures, but also sources of inspiration for countless other adolescent girls."
Participants also helped prevent over 2,200 child marriages during the year.
The programme encourages girls to think beyond social expectations and develop aspirations related to education, employment, and independence.
Through structured family dialogues and community engagement, SELP also works with parents and local leaders to create supportive environments where girls can continue their education and pursue their ambitions safely.
For many adolescent girls, these spaces become the first opportunity to speak openly about their fears, goals, and rights. And for many families, they become an opportunity to reconsider traditions that have long limited girls' choices.
Changing systems, changing society
Beyond direct legal aid, SELP is also working to strengthen Bangladesh's broader justice ecosystem.
"For many years, we have been advocating for greater collaboration in this area. The government has its own legal aid services, and alongside that, BRAC and many other NGOs have been providing legal support for nearly four decades," Morshed Alam said.
The programme has supported awareness campaigns through Popular Theatre, community mobilisation, and legal education initiatives that encourage communities to question harmful social norms around gender and violence.
SELP advocacy also contributed to the establishment of dedicated Family Courts nationwide and partnered with national legal aid institutions to strengthen alternative dispute resolution systems.
