Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust

What Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust does

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) is a non-profit trust established in 1993 and headquartered at 1/1 Pioneer Road, Kakrail, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Its mission is to make the legal system accessible to the poor and the marginalized, and it delivers all services free of charge to beneficiaries. The organization operates across 64 districts and describes itself as one of the largest legal service-providing organisations in Bangladesh.

BLAST's programme portfolio spans five core verticals: Legal Aid (direct representation for the poor), Public Interest Litigation (strategic, systemic cases), Social Justice and Inclusion, Economic Justice, and Gender Justice and Women's Empowerment. Thematic focus areas include access to justice, workers' rights, prisoners' rights, minority rights, right to health, fair trial, right to life, liberty, food, shelter, and disability rights. Complementary resources include a Public Interest Litigation site (bdpil.org), a Right to Information (RTI) portal, and the "July Justice" workstream.

The technology footprint is light and not the basis of the business: a corporate website (blast.org.bd), a dedicated mobile application called Sromik Jigyasha for workers' rights, an innovation product named SafePlus (supported by the Global Innovation Fund) that uses paralegal-supervised youth groups to prevent child marriage, and a Cyber Support for Women & Children (CSWC) programme addressing online harm. Distribution is fully domestic and channeled through direct legal aid clinics, pro bono lawyers, paralegals, mobile outreach, and digital awareness channels (Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram). Revenue mechanics are grant/donation-based rather than transactional: all services are free, and the organization is funded by donors and partner organizations, including BRAC as a named core partner. Governance rests on a Board of Trustees comprising eminent jurists, professionals, and former judges of the Bangladesh Supreme Court.

Name

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust

Legal name

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust

Website

https://blast.org.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) is a Dhaka-based non-profit trust, founded in 1993, that provides free legal aid, public interest litigation, and advocacy across 64 districts in Bangladesh for poor and marginalized populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC), Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH), Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Legal aid services
• Public interest litigation
• Human rights advocacy
• Pro bono legal services
• Social justice programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BLAST provides free legal aid services, public interest litigation, and advocacy for fundamental rights to poor and marginalized populations in Bangladesh. Its core offerings include direct legal representation, strategic public interest litigation for systemic reform, and thematic programmes covering social justice, economic justice, gender justice, and the rights of workers, women, prisoners, minorities, and other vulnerable groups. All services are delivered at no cost to beneficiaries through in-house lawyers, pro bono lawyers, legal aid clinics, and outreach across 64 districts.

Product overview

BLAST (Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust) is a legal services organisation rather than a technology company. It operates a multi-pronged approach combining: core legal aid services providing free legal representation for the poor; Public Interest Litigation for systemic reforms; and thematic programmes covering Social Justice, Economic Justice, and Gender Justice. The portfolio includes mobile applications (Sromik Jigyasha for workers' rights), innovations like SafePlus for preventing child marriage, and dedicated programmes such as Cyber Support for Women & Children. The organisation also maintains online resources including a PIL website (bdpil.org) and Right to Information materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BaSHA Blog: A blog platform associated with BLAST

Products and services

• Legal Aid Core programme providing free legal services for poor people in Bangladesh, delivered through in-house lawyers, pro bono lawyers, and legal aid clinics across 64 districts.
• Public Interest Litigation (PIL) Strategic litigation programme focusing on public interest cases to bring systemic legal reforms and justice for marginalized communities.
• Social Justice and Inclusion Programme addressing social justice issues and promoting inclusion of marginalized populations in the legal system.
• Economic Justice Programme focused on ensuring economic rights and justice for poor and marginalized communities.
• Gender Justice and Women Empowerment Programme promoting gender equality and women's rights through legal aid and advocacy.
• Sromik Jigyasha (Workers' Queries Mobile App) Mobile application providing workers with legal information and guidance on their rights, available as a focus area resource for outreach to workers.
• SafePlus Innovation that empowers youth groups to tackle early child marriage by providing leadership, negotiation and legal training, supervised and delivered by experienced paralegals.
• Cyber Support for Women & Children (CSWC) Programme dedicated to providing safe online space for women and children, addressing cyber-related issues they face.
• Right to Information (RTI) Resource Resource providing information about Right to Information laws and how to utilize them.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BRACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRAC is mentioned as a partner organization. BLAST works collaboratively with BRAC on various legal aid and social justice initiatives in Bangladesh.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• BRAC: BRAC is a confirmed strategic partner and the world's largest development NGO, with overlapping programming in human rights and access to justice. Listed by BLAST as a core partner on legal aid and social justice initiatives.
• PILnet: PILnet is a global leader in public interest litigation infrastructure, supporting in-house civil society lawyering. It is comparable to BLAST's Public Interest Litigation programme and a potential capacity-building partner or competitor for PIL mandates.
• Odhikar: Odhikar is a Bangladeshi human rights organisation focused on civil liberties, prisoners' rights, and minority rights. It overlaps with BLAST's focus areas on prisoners' rights, minority rights, and right to fair trial.

Broad incumbents

• Avocats Sans Frontières (Lawyers Without Borders): Avocats Sans Frontières is an international legal aid NGO operating in multiple developing countries. It is a broad-incumbent peer in international access-to-justice programming where BLAST can compete for donor mandates.
• Open Society Justice Initiative: Open Society Justice Initiative funds and litigates strategic human rights cases globally. It is a broad incumbent in the human rights and strategic litigation space where BLAST's PIL programme operates.
• International Legal Foundation: International Legal Foundation builds local capacity for criminal defence and legal aid in developing countries. It is a broad incumbent peer in international legal aid delivery models analogous to BLAST.

Direct peers

• Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK): ASK is a leading Bangladeshi legal aid and human rights NGO providing legal services, mediation, and advocacy to marginalised communities. It is the closest direct legal aid peer to BLAST within Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association (BNWLA): BNWLA is a Bangladeshi legal aid and women's rights organisation providing free legal services to women and children. It is a direct peer in free legal aid, gender justice, and child protection - areas core to BLAST's work.

Regional players

• Bangladesh Mohila Parishad: Bangladesh Mohila Parishad is a national women's rights organisation that conducts strategic litigation and advocacy. It overlaps with BLAST's gender justice and women's rights focus areas.
• Legal Aid Foundation of Tanzania: Legal Aid Foundation of Tanzania is a publicly-supported legal aid organisation providing free legal services to the poor. It is a comparable legal aid trust outside Bangladesh, useful for cross-geography benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4LAa_IimujFRUtwG1wnFNA
• Facebookfacebook.com/blastbangladesh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blastbd
• Instagraminstagram.com/blast_bangladesh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust