The Human Rights and Legal Service (HRLS) Programme is the central component of BRAC’s Social Development Programme. It was first introduced in 1986 to make women VO members aware of their basic rights as per the Bangladeshi Constitution. The main objectives of the programme are: giving VO members access to information about law; demystifying the law through legal literacy classes; raising awareness about legal rights; and empowering the poor, especially women, both legally and socially by encouraging them to take legal action.

The modus operandi of the HRLE Programme of HRLS is through a training course on 7 basic laws: Citizen’s Rights Protection Law, Criminal Law, Muslim and Hindu Family Law, Muslim and Hindu Inheritance Law, and Land Law. In 2002, laws on Trafficking of Children and Women and Acid Throwing were also added.

Local Community Leaders' Workshop

The Local Community Leaders (LCL) workshop is a oneday workshop held at the BRAC Area Office with representatives from the community. The participants include the current UP chairman, ex-chairmen, UP members, the local Quazi (marriage registrar), Imam (Muslim religious leader), teachers, journalists, local leaders and influential people. The HRLE Shebika, the Polli Shomaj Chairperson, the Social Development PO, the Area Coordinator (AC) and the Area Manager also participate in this workshop. The workshops are led by trained facilitators.

Issues discussed include an overview of the laws covered through HRLE classes and ways to ensure the implementation of these laws within the local community. Existing social practices that go against the law and ways to change these are also discussed. The main objective of the workshop is to involve influential local community members in the process of changing existing social practices that go against the law.