ASK has been providing legal assistance to the victims of rights violation through mediation and legal assistance since the beginning of its journey. In the beginning, Legal Aid Unit was responsible to provide these services. Considering the number of complaints and cases as well as the necessity of specialized lawyers for these two tasks, two separate units i.e. Mediation and Rapid Response Unit and Litigation Unit, have been established in 2003, so that issues of legal assistance could be addressed timely and effectively. 

At present, Litigation Unit is one of the important units of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) which works to ensure justice and also to protect human rights of the people.

The Unit provides free legal aid by mainly conducting cases in the court and other ways such as advocacy, awareness building and pursuance to the concerned authority for enabling people to have access to justice.

AREA COVERAGE

Litigation Unit provides legal assistance in district court of Dhaka. Unit lawyers also provide legal assistance outside of Dhaka in severe criminal cases wherever necessary.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

• If no settlement is reached through mediation, or if the mediation fails, ASK may provide legal representation to the client to seek a remedy through litigation in the court.
• In cases which cannot be mediated, for example complaints of violence, including rape, murder, acid attack, and cases involving infringement of fundamental rights, the Unit may provide legal advice and take legal actions for remedies through court procedure.

• Litigation Unit usually receives cases on the violation of human rights and family matters. These cases are conducted by staff lawyers and panel lawyers.
• Staff lawyers conduct cases in district court of Dhaka and all district court of Bangladesh wherever necessary.
• This Unit also provides legal aid through litigation in criminal matters.
• Lawyers refer victims to shelter home if necessary. They release victims from safe custody when it is safe and help them to go back to their home.

The lawyers conduct cases of all family matters i.e. violence against women in case of non-payment of dower money, maintenance, child maintenance, child custody, divorce, restitution of conjugal rights. It also provides legal aid in criminal matters such as- stalking, rape, acid throwing, murder, dowry, abduction, abetment to suicide etc.