Sylhet Bureau

Law Adviser Asif Nazrul has said that the reforms introduced under his leadership in the legal and justice system are the first of their kind in Bangladesh’s history.

“If the next government continues the changes we’ve made in law and justice, ordinary citizens will finally receive fair and timely justice,” he said.

Asif Nazrul made the remarks while inaugurating the mandatory pre-litigation mediation provision under the Legal Aid Provision (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, held at the Grand Sylhet Hotel on Wednesday afternoon.

Responding to public criticism, Nazrul said, “People often ask, ‘What have you done? You sit here in the blood of martyrs.’ I want to say — I’m not a footballer or a stage actor that you’ll see immediate results. You’ll see what I’m doing through my work. I’ve done things that have never been done in the history of Bangladesh.”

The adviser said mandatory pre-litigation mediation will allow many disputes to be resolved quickly, affordably, and outside the courtroom.

He mentioned that people must now go through a mediation process before filing a case. “If it fails, they can go to court.”

According to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Legal Aid (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 has been issued to make legal aid more dynamic and accessible.

The ordinance brings issues such as family disputes, parental maintenance, house rent, advance payments, dowry, and property distribution under the scope of mandatory pre-litigation mediation.

In the first phase, the provision will be enforced in 12 districts across the country starting September 18.

As part of the rollout, the law adviser attended the inaugural ceremony in Sylhet.