Dhaka: Chief Justice SK Sinha on Tuesday urged all the lawyers to provide free legal assistance in at least one case every year to reach justice to the doorstep of the poor and helpless people.

He made the call while inaugurating the Legal Aid office at the Supreme Court.

Lawyers appointed by the National Legal Aid Services Organization (NLASO) will provide free legal assistance to the poor and helpless people from this office.

Noting that solvent litigants can hire senior lawyers to fight for them in any case, the Chief Justice said the poor in many cases cannot do so. ‘I think this is a kind of discrimination.’

He urged legal aid committees and development partners to pay more attention to this point.

Sinha also hoped that the legal aid committees will look into the cases of condemned cell convicts who have no capability to employ lawyers.

‘Every citizen is born with equal dignity and rights. So, they should enjoy the equal rights to get justice.’

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Mission Director of USAID Janina Jaruzelski were, among others, present at the programme held with Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee chairman Justice Nizamul Haque in the chair.

NLASO director Malik Abdul Al Amin gave the welcome address at the function.

In his speech, the attorney general said the lawyers have to change their mentality to provide service hanging signboards.