On 9th May 2026, from 10:00 AM onwards, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) organized a day-long workshop on “Arbitration Activities and Legal Aid for the Prevention and Remedy of Violence Against Women and Girls (Family Disputes)” at the organization’s Anwara Begum–Munira Khan Auditorium.
The workshop was chaired by Sahana Kabir, Vice-President of the Central Committee of BMP. Addressing the workshop were General Secretary Maleka Banu and Joint General Secretary Advocate Masuda Rehana Begum, who discussed the background and objectives of the workshop. Retired Senior District and Sessions Judge, researcher, and legal analyst Fouz ul Azim spoke about the guiding principles of arbitration activities, as well as methods for conducting and documenting arbitration meetings. Legal Aid Secretary Rekha Saha discussed the arbitration policy of BMP.
Following the inaugural session, the first working session began with discussions on house rules and participants’ expectations led by Legal Aid Officer Nusrat Elahi Esha. Program Officer (Counseling) Sabikun Nahar discussed the areas of legal support provided by BMP, including legal counseling, psychological support and counseling, medical assistance, filing complaints, police complaints and FIRs, as well as discussed the objectives and steps of counseling and the application intake process.
During the second working session, Assistant Director (Legal Advocacy and Lobby) Advocate Fatema Khatun discussed practical procedures in handling criminal offenses and joint initiatives with the government. Deputy Director (Legal Advocacy and Lobby) Advocate Ramlal Raha spoke on document preservation and reporting processes. After the second session, participants from district branches took part in group work on six topics related to family dispute resolution. The group activities were facilitated by Director of Legal Advocacy, Advocate Dipti Sikder. In the third session, district branch leaders presented the outcomes of their group works.
Vice-President Sahana Kabir stated that mediation and arbitration conducted in the presence of both parties are extremely important in resolving family disputes. She expressed hope that the experiences gained from the workshop would be applied by district branch leaders in their activities. She also emphasized the importance of staying updated on legal matters and information while providing legal support.
In the inaugural session, General Secretary Maleka Banu said that preventing violence against women and girls is one of the organization’s core responsibilities in ensuring gender equality and protecting women’s human rights. She noted that the prevention of violence against women and girls has also been strongly emphasized in the United Nations’ global action agenda. Referring to violence against women, she stated that member states are expected to take measures to prevent and remedy all forms of violence against women, including physical, psychological, economic, and other forms of abused and violence. However, in reality, expected progress is still lacking.
Joint General Secretary Advocate Masuda Rehana Begum stated that through arbitration activities related to family matters, BMP has been playing a significant role in providing legal support to survivors of violence and their families, including the recovery of dower (denmohor) and maintenance through mediation processes. Although government legal aid services and many non-government organizations are currently conducting arbitration activities, proper documentation is often lacking. She emphasized the importance of maintaining documentation procedures, receiving complaints properly, preparing written arbitration decisions within the legal framework, following correct procedures in recovering and handing over dower payments to applicants, issuing receipts, and ensuring the proper implementation of arbitration policies.
Legal Aid Secretary Rekha Saha said that discussions and awareness-building within families regarding violence against women are necessary. She added that there is a growing realization of the need for more workshops on promoting women’s human rights, gender equality and preventing violence against women and girls.
The workshop was attended by approximately 150 participants, including 114 women leaders from 57 district branches, members of the central committee, executive members, and office stuffs of BMP.
The sessions were moderated by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Legal Aid Officer Sinonome Marma and Dhaka City Committee Legal Aid Secretary Shamima Afroze Irene.
