Govt plans to turn prisons into correction centres

Staff Correspondent: The government is going to enact a new law with an aim of transforming the prisons into correction and rehabilitation centres.

Law Minister Anisul Huq said this at a discussion marking the National Legal Aid Service Day at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city on Saturday.

The government through its different organizations including National Legal Aid Services Organization (NLASO) is providing free legal assistance to people including women and children, Anisul Huq said.

"Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formulated National Legal Aid Services Act in 2000 to provide legal aid at government's cost to people unable to pay legal expenses. The prime minister also established a statutory body named National Legal Aid Services Organization (NLASO) in the same year," he said.

"After coming to power again in 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina again took initiatives to expedite the implementation of National Legal Aid Services Act, 2000. Legal aid committees were formed in all 64 districts led by district and session judges. Apart from districts, legal aid committees are working in upazila and union level. We have a legal aid committee at the apex court also," he added.

Presided over by Law and Justice Division Secretary Abu Saleh Sk Md Zahirul Haque, the programme was addressed, among others, by Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division Senior Secretary Mohammad Shahidul Haque and National Legal Aid Services Organization (NLASO) Director Md Jafrul Hasan.


risingbd/Dhaka/April 28, 2018/Mahidi/Mukul