Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)

What Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) does

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) is a non-governmental, non-profit legal aid and human rights organization headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with 57 staff. Founded by the late Barrister Salma Sobhan, ASK provides free legal representation, mediation, and rapid response services to victims of human rights violations including extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, custodial deaths, and gender-based and child rights abuses. The organization operates a structured portfolio of program units covering legal aid and litigation, mediation and rapid response, child rights protection (including SUFASEC and Speak Up), Halfway Home rehabilitation, and the ASTHA and EngageNow projects on gender-based violence and civic engagement.

ASK's core operating model combines direct service delivery with systematic human rights documentation and policy advocacy. The Documentation Unit maintains the country's de facto reference statistics on rights violations, with a website hosting granular category-level data on border violence, political clashes, mob beatings, custodial deaths, law enforcement abductions, journalist harassment, and multiple forms of violence against women. The organization publishes annual human rights situation reports, quarterly bulletins, e-bulletins, ANNI reports, child rights reports, and audited financial statements. ASK holds UN ECOSOC consultative status and actively engages with UPR, UNCRC, and UNHRC mechanisms.

ASK is not a commercial enterprise and has no technology or AI product surface. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the organization is funded by development partners and international donors. Its convening role as permanent secretariat of the 20-organization Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB) and its 2026 EU-funded partnership with UN Women on SGBV prevention anchor its institutional positioning. The target audience is non-paying beneficiaries (victims and at-risk populations), with distribution via a Dhaka office, a telephone helpline (+88 01724 415 677, 9am-5pm), and an active media and digital advocacy footprint.

Name

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)

Legal name

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)

Website

https://askbd.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) is a Dhaka-based non-profit legal aid and human rights organization providing free legal representation, documentation of rights violations, and policy advocacy to victims of extrajudicial violence, gender-based abuse, and child rights violations in Bangladesh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid and Human Rights Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG)

Keywords

• Legal aid services
• Human rights advocacy
• Child rights protection
• Gender-based violence support
• Human rights documentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) is a legal aid and human rights organization in Bangladesh that provides free legal assistance and representation to victims of human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, gender-based violence, and child abuse. The organization complements direct legal services with systematic human rights monitoring and documentation, child rights protection programs, gender justice initiatives, capacity building, and policy advocacy at national and international levels including engagement with UN human rights mechanisms.

Product overview

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) is a legal aid and human rights organization in Bangladesh offering a comprehensive portfolio of services. The organization operates as a unified platform combining direct service delivery with advocacy and research. Its core offerings include Legal Aid Services (providing free legal representation, mediation, and rapid response), Human Rights Monitoring and Documentation (systematic tracking of violations across categories including violence against women, child rights, and extrajudicial killings), and Child Rights Protection programs (including SUFASEC and Speak Up initiatives). ASK complements these direct services with capacity building training, awareness raising programs, and robust policy advocacy through its Publications and Reports unit (producing annual human rights reports, bulletins, and UN submissions). The organization also runs specialized projects such as ASTHA for Combating Gender Based Violence and EngageNow for Civic Engagement. A dedicated helpline (01724 415 677) provides accessible legal assistance. ASK holds UN ECOSOC consultative status and serves as the secretariat for the Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB), a coalition of 20 human rights organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Aid Services Free legal assistance and representation for victims of human rights violations in Bangladesh, including litigation support, mediation, and rapid response services delivered through a dedicated helpline and the Dhaka office.
• Awareness Raising Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• In May 2026, ASK considered 24 human rights violation cases and sent 2 urgent communications to authorities. In April 2026, ASK considered 35 cases and sent 8 urgent communications.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026ASK and UN Women launched a EU-supported initiative to prevent sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and promote safe university environments. This partnership involves collaboration with MNP, MSP and YGG (Union & Thana Level) for bi-monthly coordination meetings.
• Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASK serves as the secretariat for Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB), a coalition of 20 human rights and development organisations. HRFB was formed in 2007 to use the UPR process to improve human rights situation at the national level. ASK coordinates the forum's activities including stakeholder engagement and advocacy initiatives.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Commission of Jurists: International organization of judges and lawyers promoting human rights through the rule of law. Comparable on legal-advocacy methodology and engagement with UN human rights mechanisms, but as a Geneva-based broad incumbent.
• BRAC: Largest Bangladeshi development NGO with rights, legal empowerment, and gender justice programming. A much broader incumbent with overlapping human rights and women's empowerment work but vastly larger scale and scope.
• Lawyers Without Borders: International legal aid and rule-of-law organization. Comparable on legal aid delivery and access-to-justice mandate, though operating globally rather than being embedded in Bangladesh.
• Human Rights Watch: International human rights organization producing country reports on Bangladesh. Comparable on documentation, fact-finding, and advocacy methodology, though as a foreign-based incumbent rather than a Bangladeshi service-delivery NGO.
• Amnesty International: Global human rights organization with a Bangladesh section. Comparable advocacy methodology (urgent actions, reports, international mechanisms), but operates as a broad international incumbent rather than a domestic specialist.

Direct peers

• Odhikar: Bangladeshi human rights organization focused on monitoring violations, fact-finding, and advocacy. Highly comparable to ASK on human rights documentation, press statements, and adversarial posture toward state actors.
• Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA): Bangladeshi organization of women lawyers providing legal aid, shelter, and advocacy for women and children. Overlaps directly with ASK's legal aid, GBV response, and child protection mandates.
• Acid Survivors Foundation: Bangladesh-based foundation supporting survivors of acid violence — a category ASK explicitly tracks and litigates. Comparable on survivor rehabilitation, legal aid, and Bangladesh operational footprint.
• Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST): Leading Bangladeshi legal aid NGO providing free legal services, mediation, and litigation support to marginalized groups. Directly comparable to ASK on legal aid delivery model, donor-funded structure, and Bangladesh operating environment.
• Bangladesh Mohila Parishad: Major Bangladeshi women's rights advocacy organization. Comparable to ASK's gender-focused work, particularly the ASTHA project and SGBV programming under the UN Women partnership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ask_bd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCN8s44ijkNKPdh4wnp5sWEQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/askbd.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ain-o-salish-kendra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)