About Us

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a national legal aid and human rights organisation, provides legal and social support to the dis empowered, particularly women, working children and workers. Its goal is to create a society based on equality, social and gender justice and rule of law. It seeks to create an environment for accountability and transparency of governance institutions.

ASK was registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, Bangladesh under the Societies Registration Act, XXI in 1986, and with the NGO Affairs Bureau under Foreign Donation Regulation Ordinance, 1978 in 1993. It was accorded special consultative status with UNECOSOC in 1998.

ASK’s Strategies

ASK’s strategies for promotion and protection of human rights are carried out by 17 units and one component to create awareness, provide legal and social support, monitor institutional transparency, campaign and advocacy for law and policy reform.

Promoting Community Activism

In partnership with ten partner NGOs (PNGOs) and CBOs, ASK has trained and facilitated the formation of  voluntary groups to monitor human rights, prevent their violation and protect victims in 40 unions in ten upazillas. Fifty-two school teams and 60 youth teams have learned to perform human rights theatre.

Legal and Social Support

Lawyers resolve disputes through mediation or litigation in ten legal aid clinics in Dhaka.  An outreach programme has extended legal clinics in seven districts (Barisal, Bogra, Chittagong, Hobigonj, Rajshahi, Satkhira and Tangail) in partnership with seven local NGOs. Health and Education Support and Legal Protection is offered to working children at six sites in Dhaka and to domestic child workers at 38 sites.

Accountability of Public Institutions

News clips of legal and human rights violations are compiled from ten national newspapers. Fact finding investigations into incidents of HR violations are carried out by ASK staff and l by 15 local human rights defenders’ forums trained by ASK in 15 districts.

Advocacy for Law and Policy Reform

Research into human rights situation and on impact of laws and policies is disseminated in ASK’s quarterly Bulletins, books and pamphlets. Seven public Interest litigations were filed in coordination with several other human rights organisations; favourable judgments were obtained in three cases and the rest are awaiting hearing. Judgments have been pending in 45 PILs filed since 2000. Remedial steps were taken for extension of stay order, to maintain status quo, for direction for compliance with Court’s orders, issuing legal notices, etc.).

Enhancing Capabilities of Human Rights Defenders

ASK’s courses on legal and human rights aim to enhance capabilities of human rights’ defenders, increase community activism for justice, and encourage interventions to prevent violations and protect survivors.

These core programmes are supported by a consortium of  six donors, and specific programmes by one donor.

Partnerships

ASK conducts its programmes outside Dhaka with 20 key partner NGOs and CBOs (Gender & Social Justice, Outreach and Child Rights Programme), 52 Schools (BNAD) and 15 Human Rights Defenders Forum (HRDF).

Networks

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)’s Affiliation with Different National and International Networks.

National Networks:
1. Bangladesh Civil Society for Migrants (BCSM)
2. Bangladesh Shishu Odhikar Forum (BSAF)
3. Beijing Plus Five for Human Rights
4. Coalition for the Urban Poor (CUP)
5. Citizen’s Initiative on CEDAW (CIC-BD)
6. Citizen’s Initiatives to Address Domestic Violence (CIDV)
7. Child Rights Governance Assembly (CRGA)
8. Child Rights Advocacy Coalition in Bangladesh (CRACB)
9. Civil Society Organization Forum for Strengthening SRHREcosystem in Bangladesh
10. Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB)
11. National Child Protection Committee
12. Sramik Nirapotta Forum (SNF)
13. Samajik Protirodh Committee
14. We Can End Violence against Women (WE CAN)


International Networks:
15. Asia Pacific Forum for Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
16. Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI)
17. British Association of Counseling and Psycho-therapy (BACP)
18. End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT)
19. Forum Asia (FA)
20. International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW)
21. Migrants’ Forum in Asia (MFA)
22. South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR)
23. South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR)
24. Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML)

Members

ASK is a membership organisation founded by nine individuals (4 women and 5 men). It currently has 27 general members (17 women and 10 men)

Executive Committee members

9 (4 women and 5 men)

Units of ASK