BANGLADESH LEGAL AID AND SERVICES TRUST

INDIA

BANGLADESH LEGAL AID AND SERVICES TRUST

Sampada Sudheesh Venkatesh, Corpus Christi College, BA Jurisprudence, Second Year Undergraduate, Remote working

Work Projects

BLAST is a legal aid organisation that aims

to improve access to justice for

marginalised communities, through legal

reform and aid. My main interests in their

work, from the application stage itself,

were workers’ rights and trans law reform. Over the course of my 6 weeks at the

organisation, I contributed to 3 broad

areas of work: Research: I compiled short, factual research notes, as well as longer,

analytical pieces. Some of the factual notes included investigating an unfortunate factory

fire incident - who were the owners of the factory, and what was the nature of victims of

the fire.

My long-term work included analysing the legal backing (if any) behind arbitrary arrests

during Bangladesh’s strict Covid-19 lockdowns. I also drafted a concept note for a

conference on inheritance laws as they apply to the transgender community in South Asia.

Editing: BLAST encourages students from public universities in Bangladesh to increase their

knowledge and capacity on sexual and reproductive health and empower them to advocate

for change in their community through research fellowships. On this front, I edited two

research reports - one about sexual violence against women with disabilities, and the other

on women’s perception about contraceptive use and its impact on family planning.

I contributed to creating BLAST’s new website - designing some pages and revising content. I

also compiled some sections for the organisation’s annual report. These tasks were very helpful in getting a broad overview of how a large legal aid organisation like BLAST

functions. I received instruction and guidance from my supervisors for my work. I

particularly appreciated the amount of contextual background provided for tasks, as it

provided a useful framework within which I could work.

Daily Life

BLAST was incredibly flexible about working

remotely and gave interns the freedom to

structure their work as they pleased. Since I

was 5.5 hours ahead of Bangladesh, it meant

some early morning meetings, but they

were not mandatory to attend, and colleagues and supervisors always tried to

accommodate the time zones of international interns. In trying times like this, their

considerate approach was a boon. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if there was a

schedule to follow so that I could get a feel for how work life differs from self-structured

university life, but I think this is a by-product of remote working, rather than any fault of the

organisation itself.

Lasting Impressions

My internship with BLAST has confirmed that I want to pursue a career in improving access

to justice, although I am still uncertain whether to pursue that route as a practicing lawyer

or an academic. I have furthered my legal knowledge in the South Asian region, and despite

being an entirely remote internship, now have greater insight into Bangla culture and

society. I am disappointed that I could not travel to Dhaka for the internship, as I am sure

that would have been a more holistic and enriching experience, but I am grateful for the

opportunity to have contributed to the great work that BLAST does, nonetheless. I worked

with people who are very passionate about the causes they advocate for - which made for

an amazing work environment.

What practical advice would you give to future interns?

I would encourage future interns to be curious and open-minded - there is so much to learn

at BLAST! Be engaged, ask questions, and make the most of the opportunity of working with

people who are driving real change.

Frances Burnley, Pembroke College, Second Year Undergraduate, BA Jurisprudence (Law with German Law), Remote working

Work Projects

During my internship with BLAST, I researched key issues and actors in the tanneries/leather

and construction industries in Bangladesh (Week 1), researched individuals for the Justice

Heroes project (a project on influential figures who have contributed in some way to the

development of Bangladesh's legal history) (Weeks 2-4), reviewed one of the final drafts of

the university research projects on sexual and reproductive health rights in Bangladesh

(Week 1), and assisted with the research project on conflict-related sexual violence in

Bangladesh, compiling research resources, and helping to prepare for a webinar on the topic

(Weeks 2-4).

Daily Life

I would have one or two meetings on some

weekdays, but otherwise my time was my own and I

was left to complete the tasks assigned to me

according to my own schedule, as long as they were

completed on time. Because of this my schedule

was quite irregular; I would sometimes work at the

weekends, take days off in the week, or work late. The flexibility was good as it enabled me

to fit around the schedules of my friends and family, but I personally think I would have

worked more efficiently had I had the opportunity to attend the internship in-person.

Outside of work, I relaxed in the same ways that I normally do. Light exercise, creative

hobbies, watching TV in the evenings.

Lasting Impressions

I fully enjoyed my time with BLAST. My colleagues and supervisors were welcoming and

engaging, and I always felt that they were making the maximum effort to make me feel as

included as I could be despite working remotely. The work I was assigned was tailored to my

interests and enabled me to make what I felt were (hopefully) valuable contributions to the

various projects I was involved in.

The internship provided valuable insight into the day-to-day workings of legal services

organizations and the practical application of human rights law. This in turn has been helpful

in confirming that human rights law is a career that I think would be right for me. I learned a

lot about the history of Bangladesh and South Asia, which I feel has broadened my horizons

and improved my sense of cultural sensitivity. The project that I enjoyed the most was the

Justice Heroes project, as this enabled to me to learn about a wide variety of different topics

from Bangladesh's history. I also enjoyed getting to observe the work of Sara Hossain and

Bina DCosta in preparing the webinar on conflict related sexual violence in Bangladesh.

Masters-level student, Bachelor of Civil Law, Remote working

Work Projects

I completed the following projects: 1) proofread research reports on sexual and

reproductive health and rights 2) completed a research note on reparations for conflict

related sexual violence 3) collected data on, and analysed, jurisprudence from the

International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh 4) researched and wrote short biographies on

prominent figures who had contributed significantly to various causes in Bangladesh I

received guidance on how to approach my research tasks, access to a research note

prepared by an advocate who works with BLAST, and ad hoc advice from other members of

BLAST.

Daily Life

BLAST was very flexible, so I was able to break up

an 8 hour work day into blocks of 3-2-3 and

schedule my work around important household

chores and breaks.