EngageNow Project | Ain o Salish Kendra(ASK)

“Uthan Boithak – Courtyard Meetings” with Local Women

admin — Sun, 10 May 2026 12:17:54 +0000

In April 2026, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) organised 32 Uthan Boithak sessions aimed at engaging local women, including minorities and marginalised groups, engaging 514 participants. The meetings were conducted by co-implementation partner ASED (10) at Habiganj, MPS (8) at Tangail, ACD (4) at Rajshahi, AVASH (6) at Barisal, and SoDESH (4) at Satkhira. These community courtyard meetings raised awareness among women and marginalised groups about legal rights, social protection schemes and available health and legal services. Interactive discussions enabled participants to share experiences. ASK is executing the EngageNow Project as part of the Nagorikota: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) program, with backing from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and European Union (EU). Through these efforts, ASK is dedicated to empowering women and promoting a culture of justice at the grassroots level.

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Workshop and Awareness Drama by School Theater Groups

admin — Sun, 10 May 2026 12:09:35 +0000

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), in collaboration with its local partner organisations organised school-based theater workshop under the EngageNow project on human rights, gender sensitivity and prevention of sexual abuse against children. A total of 13 study sessions were conducted for BINAD members, engaging 352 participants, including 94 male and 258 female participants. The sessions were facilitated by ASED (4) at Habiganj, ACD (3) at Rajshahi, SoDESH (4) at Satkhira and OWDEB (2) at Chattogram. The drama performances was staged during the program to raise awareness among community members about the risks, consequences and harmful impacts of child abuse, child labor, early marriage, sexual harassment and other forms of exploitation. These activities were implemented under the EngageNow project, part of the Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) programme, with support from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the European Union (EU).

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Bi-Monthly Coordination Meeting by MNP

admin — Sun, 10 May 2026 09:45:37 +0000

In April 2026, a total of 23 coordination meetings were conducted by the (Manobadhikar Nari Parishad) MNP platform, facilitated by partner organisations at Union and Thana levels. These meetings were organised by ASED (2) at Habiganj, MPS (1) at Tangail, ACD (5) at Rajshahi, AVASH (5) at Barisal, SoDESH (5) at Satkhira, and OWDEB (5) at Chattogram. The meetings engaged a total of 256 participants, including 2 male participants, 252 female participants and 2 women with disabilities. The strong participation of women demonstrated continued engagement of grassroots women leaders and marginalised groups in local governance and protection mechanisms. These activities were implemented under the EngageNow project, part of the Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) programme, with support from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the European Union (EU).

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Bi-Monthly Coordination Meeting at MSP (Union & Thana Level)

admin — Sun, 10 May 2026 09:15:45 +0000

Under the Engage Now Project, a total of 18 MSP coordination meetings were conducted during April with participation from 199 individuals, including 65 male participants, 133 female participants and 1 male participant with disability. The meetings were organized by ASED (2) at Habiganj, MPS (1) at Tangail, ACD (5) at Rajshahi, AVASH (5) at Barisal, and OWDEB (5) at Chattogram. These meetings strengthened collaboration between government institutions and civil society representatives to improve implementation of human rights and social protection initiatives. ASK is executing the EngageNow Project as part of the Nagorikota: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) program, with backing from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and European Union (EU).

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Litigation Activities – April 2026

admin — Sun, 10 May 2026 06:03:14 +0000

In April 2026, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) continued to represent victims and legal aid seekers before the courts. During the reporting period, court dates were scheduled for cases related to family disputes, violence against women and children, criminal offences and other legal matters involving ASK clients. During the month, 3 new cases were filed on behalf of victims. A total of 188 cases were handled, of which 178 were family cases, 7 involved violence against women and children and 3 were criminal cases. In these cases, ASK lawyers undertook necessary legal actions, including filing cases, court appearances, hearings, follow-ups, recording witness testimony, cross-examination and presenting arguments to ensure effective legal representation and progress of the cases through EngageNow project.

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ASK’s Legal Aid Services – April 2026

admin — Sun, 10 May 2026 05:06:19 +0000

During the period, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) handled 261 registrations who seek legal aid, including 225 females and 36 males, with several survivors from marginalised. Of these cases, 216 were addressed through the Mediation Unit and 45 through the Litigation Unit. The Unit registered 22 new survivors, conducted 18 mediation sessions, followed up with 18 survivors and provided legal advice to 93 individuals. Referred to other organization 19 survivors. Helpline services were extended to 140 survivors; rapid response support was provided in 15 cases and counselling services were offered to 1. Recovered dower and maintenance (including children) of taka 12, 21,340/ (Twelve lac twenty-one thousand three hundred and forty taka) through mediation. 18 Talak-E-Tawfiz executed one. Moreover, at field level 30 clients were registered, including 10 male and 20 female clients. 8 female survivors received assessments. 6 new legal cases were initiated by HRLF and 2 mediation initiatives were conducted during April 2026. These activities were implemented under the EngageNow project, part of the Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) programme, with support from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and European Union (EU).

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Community Legal Camp for Marginalised Groups

admin — Sat, 02 May 2026 07:35:19 +0000

A total of 7 community legal camps were organised during April 2026, engaging 367 participants, including 97 male and 270 female participants. The camps were conducted by ASED (2) at Habiganj, ACD (2) at Rajshahi, and AVASH (3) at Barisal. These initiatives increased community awareness regarding legal rights, available protection services, and access to justice mechanisms. Participants received information and guidance on legal procedures, protection services, and available support systems for survivors and marginalised groups. The legal camps also created opportunities for direct interaction between community members and legal service providers, contributing to improved awareness and confidence in seeking legal assistance. The legal camps were organised under EngageNow Project, as part of the Nagorikota: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) program, with support from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and European Union (EU).

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Annual Coordination Meeting and Work Plan Adoption

admin — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:45:13 +0000

On 15th April 2026, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) organised an annual coordination meeting to review progress and adopt the work plan for the EngageNow project. The meeting focused on strengthening programme implementation and ensuring strategic alignment with the approved work plan.
Key discussions included roles and responsibilities in addressing potential challenges, the use of standardised reporting formats and the identification of specific actions to advance the rights and well-being of children and women. A comprehensive work plan with clearly defined timelines and deadlines was finalised to support effective and timely implementation.

The session also covered several core components of the project, including opening remarks for the annual orientation, a review of first-year plans versus progress and an overview of second-year activities. In addition, detailed discussions were held on mediation mechanisms, investigation processes, litigation strategies, communication and branding approaches.
Through this coordination meeting, ASK reinforced its commitment to improving programme coherence, accountability and impact.
ASK is implementing the EngageNow project under the “Nagorikota: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF)” programme with support from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and European Union (EU).

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ASK’s Legal Aid Services –March 2026

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:02:07 +0000

During the period, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) handled 181 registrations, including 151 females and 30 males, with several survivors from marginalised groups and 1 person with a disability. Of these cases, 143 were addressed through the Mediation Unit and 38 through the Litigation Unit. The Unit registered 18 new survivors, conducted 7 mediation sessions, followed up with 6 survivors and provided legal advice to 39 individuals. Thirteen survivors were referred to other organisations. Helpline services were extended to 121 survivors; rapid response support was provided in 20 cases; counselling services were offered to 1 person and couple therapy was provided to 1 couple. A total of BDT 1,48,480 was recovered as dower and maintenance (including for children) through mediation. ASK is also providing legal aid services across six districts at the grassroots level. In the field, a total of 22 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence received necessary support services, including medical, psychosocial and legal assistance. Among them, 20 were female and 2 were male. ASK’s co-implementing partners supported survivors as follows: OWDEB (8) in Chattogram, ACD (5) in Rajshahi, MPS (3) in Tangail, AVASH (3) in Barisal, SoDESH (2) in Satkhira and ASED (1) in Habiganj. A total of 19 individuals received assessments and legal advice. Two new legal cases were initiated by HRLF, 4 clients were referred to appropriate services, 3 emergency responses were delivered and 1 mediation session was conducted in the project working areas. These activities were implemented under the EngageNow project, part of the Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) programme, with support from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the European Union (EU).

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Human Chain: Demanding Justice and Accountability for Domestic Child Abuse

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:59:48 +0000

Under the EngageNow project, a mobilisation initiative was conducted by partner organisation SoDesh on 7 February in Satkhira district. This initiative included advocacy engagement and the submission of a memorandum to the relevant authorities. A human chain and protest rally were organised to demand justice and exemplary punishment for an incident involving the torture of an 11-year-old domestic child worker. A total of 48 participants joined the rally. The activity successfully amplified community concerns regarding governance and social protection. Through this organised and peaceful civic engagement, community voices were formally communicated to decision-makers, reinforcing participatory governance and accountability. ASK is implementing the EngageNow project under the “Nagorikota: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF)” programme with support from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and European Union (EU).

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