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Sadia Alam
Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association
Dhaka, Bangladesh

My time spent at BNWLA this past summer greatly transformed my views of Bangladeshi law and its place in the lives of ordinary citizens. I had entered the summer with a critical view of the legal system and its treatment of women. Yet, through my experiences at the legal center, I learned that the focus of many NGOs here (including BNWLA) is not on drafting new laws, but is instead on providing access to the rights that are already guaranteed. My initial confusion regarding the statement that the law does support women was mitigated when I saw how many laws were created to help women and how many women actually simply did not know that they had rights. There are indeed rights protecting women from physical abuse, property “theft”, dowry abuses, etc. yet so many women were living with these problems quietly with the thought that nothing could be done.

The problem, I have come to realize, lies in the implementation of the laws that protect women. The poor implementation of such laws results in the lack of knowledge and understanding of these rights. For example, dowry is clearly prohibited in Bangladeshi law, yet there were multiple cases at the office regarding dowry – even to the extent of murder of a young woman by her husband due to arguments regarding dowry. Would the woman have lived if she had reported to the police that her husband was demanding dowry from her family? Was she aware that her husband’s demands would cause him to be punished by the law? Through my experiences, however, I have also learned how difficult it is to convince people that you are there to help them. People are simply so skeptical of their surroundings that they are not easily convinced that they can receive free legal aid from NGOs let alone that the legal system is actually in favor of them – especially those who are poor.

Another aspect of the organization’s approach toward finding solutions to the women’s issues that I found interesting is the use and promotion of cultural normatives. Before arriving at the organization I was quite interested in seeing the dichotomy between the law and the culture, but upon arriving here I realized that the two can and should indeed work in harmony in a place like Bangladesh. The women who came to the organization were largely from poorer backgrounds, who already had a great sense of cultural and societal pressures. When mediating their problems, the lawyers often tried to explain their rights against a cultural backdrop. As a result, I did not witness any case where the women felt ostracized or helpless in society because of whatever circumstances they were under (after speaking to lawyers at BNWLA).

I am still quite shocked at how quickly the summer at BNWLA went by! The experiences were truly unforgettable and eye-opening. Everything I have learned will definitely change my approach to the work I do in my future – whether it be in human rights, medicine, or public health. I hope to be able to experience something like this again in the near future to learn more about people’s’ interactions and their narratives in different communities.

The law here is in support of the women. The number of times I have heard this statement from a wide variety of people is quite astonishing to me. Whether it be the lawyer I am working with (Adv. Shaheda) or the various human rights activists I have met with, everyone makes this claim. However, I have not yet figured out whether these people mean this to be a positive statement or a condescending one.

Life at the office has been quite interesting in the past two weeks. My general work here consists of recording the statements of all the people who come to the organization with complaints or cases. I then send a letter out the opposite party—in most cases, the human rights violator. Once that party is reached, both parties are called to the office for mediation. If the matter is not resolved or cannot be solved by mediation, the organization provides lawyers to fight the case in court for free.

On my second day at the office, Adv. Shaheda handed me a newspaper and asked me to read an article written about a girl who had been murdered by her husband and his family for dowry purposes within 27 days of being married. Adv. Shaheda asked me if I would be able to visit the police station where this case had been reported in order to gather information about the victim and the perpetrator. My goal would be to talk to the victim’s parents and offer them free legal aid from the organization so they could pursue a case against their daughter’s murderer/husband. I was a bit shocked that I had been given such a large task on just my second day at the office and that I was trusted to go alone, but I was also looking forward to the experience.

The following day, I started my journey where the initial police case was made: Sitakunda Police Station, located a little over an hour outside of the city. I introduced myself as a lawyer from BNWLA (I was told to do so by my supervisor) and explained my interest in the case. Surprisingly, it was quite easy to get personal information about the victim as well as her husband. This might not have happened so easily in the US.

I then called the victim’s parents and learned that the family’s only source of income is the ill, elderly fisherman father. When I arranged for them to come to the BNWLA office, explaining they could get justice for their daughter without having to worry about the cost, the mother totally broken down. I realized that for the first time, I was actually able to make a huge difference in someone’s life because of BNWLA. I also realized how important affordable legal aid is. 

Although I initially was a bit hesitant to travel around and outside the city alone, I am actually grateful now that I was sent out by Adv. Shaheda so early on. I look forward to more such experiences where I can feel like I played a direct role in a case.

Sadia Alam
Bangladesh National Women Lawyer’s Association
Chittagong, Bangladesh

Today was finally my first official day at the office. I spent the first few days in this country catching up on my sleep and adjusting to the drastic time difference. Yesterday, I went to the Chittagong Court Building in search of the woman I was told would be my supervisor, Advocate Dil Afroz.

The court building was like no place I’ve ever seen before. Upon entering the area, I was greeted by multiple fruit and vegetable vendors, not to mention the herds of people aimlessly walking around. The court itself is separated into three different annexes, and each is home to different lawyers. After a long, arduous journey through each of the maze-like annexes, I finally found Adv. Afroz.

Upon speaking with her, I realized that she actually oversees the actions of the BNWLA from afar. She does not go to the actual office or meet directly with staff there. Instead, she coordinates meetings between the Chittagong and Dhaka branches of the organization and oversees larger project goals.

Adv. Afroz presented me with the option of either staying with her and seeing the bigger picture of the organization’s activities or working from the organization office. I chose the latter option so I could meet with the clients, who experience human rights violations, but I also opted to occasionally meet with Adv. Afroz to see the operation from her perspective.

Thus, today was my first day at the organization’s actual office. On my way there, I met Adv. Afroz in the flea-market like court building, and we went to the district attorney’s building, located near to the court area, where the BNWLA office is located. I was introduced today to several lawyer members of the organizations. Perhaps this is foolish of me, but I expected all the lawyers to be women. As it turns out, there are quite a few male lawyers working on BNWLA’s Protecting Human Rights project.

I was then introduced to my office supervisor with whom I will be working for the next few months, Advocate Kazi Shaheda Begum. So far, she seems like quite a nice and friendly woman. Actually, everyone here has been quite helpful and cooperative. Considering that I constantly look a little lost due to the extremely crowded nature of the entire court area, I am glad that all the lawyers here have been so supportive.

I did not do much today besides meet with all the people I will be working with. I look forward, however, to all the experiences that are to come!

Sadia Alam
Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association
Dhaka, Bangladesh

This summer I will be traveling to a place that I’ve been visiting my entire life: Bangladesh. As a young girl, time spent in Bangladesh always felt like time away from real life, with no school, no worries; just family, food, and fun. Yet, as I got older, my surroundings became more hazy. The situations I was once oblivious toward became too apparent for me to ignore, such as finding out that the young girl who used to play with us just two years ago is now not only married (against her will) but is also expecting a child. Or realizing that the seemingly kind auntie who lives next door is torturing her domestic servant. The bubble that I lived in every time I used to visit Bangladesh has became smaller and smaller as I have become more aware of the many forms of injustice that people are facing there.

As a result, this summer I will be going to Bangladesh with a different mindset. Instead of just offering my empathy toward people who are suffering, I hope to be able to help some of them attain justice. Thus, I will be working with Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA). BNWLA is an organization that works to create and promote women’s human rights in Bangladesh through policy-level advocacy and free legal aid to women.

I hope to learn how BNWLA’s lawyers are able to empower women to come to them. I find it quite intriguing that the organization is made up of women, who are themselves empowered and brave enough to actively fight for their rights while also protecting the women who come to BNWLA for help. I am not sure if I will be able to help make large-scale policy-level change, but I hope that I can make some difference in the lives of the women who come to the organization. I look forward to seeing how the law can benefit the lives of these women and how laws themselves can be changed as well.