Increasing Access to Justice in Bangladesh | INL18GR0057 JUSTICE BANGLADESH 062118

Opportunity Information: Apply for INL18GR0057 JUSTICE BANGLADESH 062118

The grant opportunity titled "Increasing Access to Justice in Bangladesh" (Funding Opportunity Number INL18GR0057) was a discretionary grant issued by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), under the funding activity category of Law, Justice, and Legal Services (CFDA 19.703). Announced on June 21, 2018, it had an original application deadline of August 16, 2018. The program anticipated making a single award with a maximum funding level (award ceiling) of $400,000, indicating a focused project with one primary implementer rather than a multi-recipient portfolio.

At its core, the project was designed to improve access to justice for indigent (low-income) people in Bangladesh by strengthening the quality and reach of criminal legal aid. The opportunity emphasized two connected capacity-building tracks. The first track focused on professional and technical development for defense-side legal professionals who provide criminal legal aid services. This includes structured legal training intended to raise the standard of representation, improve practical defense skills, and ultimately enhance the quality and consistency of legal aid services available to people who cannot afford private counsel.

The second track targeted institutional strengthening of government legal aid committees, recognizing that stronger individual lawyers alone are not enough if the systems that administer legal aid are weak. The grant aimed to help these committees build organizational capacity in practical areas such as planning and administration, and to develop strategic initiatives that improve how the public learns about and accesses legal aid. A key element here was improving public outreach capabilities so that eligible communities not only have legal aid in theory, but can actually find and use it in practice.

Another major objective was improving coordination across the justice and service-delivery landscape, especially between government facilities and non-governmental organizations. By promoting better alignment among government legal aid structures, courts or related facilities, and NGO service providers, the project sought to reduce fragmentation, close referral gaps, and make legal aid delivery more coherent and reliable for clients navigating the criminal justice system.

The opportunity also framed access to justice as part of a broader stability and prevention approach. It explicitly linked the project to countering violent extremism (CVE) in Bangladesh by strengthening formal mechanisms for airing grievances and resolving disputes lawfully. The underlying premise is that when people have credible, accessible legal avenues to address injustice, abuse, or disputes, they may be less vulnerable to recruitment narratives that exploit feelings of exclusion or lack of recourse. In that sense, the grant positioned legal aid and institutional justice reform not only as a rights-based intervention, but also as a preventive measure that supports social cohesion and trust in formal institutions.

Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the full announcement text (not included in the excerpt), which typically signals that nontraditional applicants such as NGOs, nonprofits, or certain specialized entities may have been eligible depending on the additional criteria. Overall, the opportunity concentrated on practical improvements to defense legal services and the administrative bodies that enable legal aid, with the intended outcome of expanding meaningful access to justice for disadvantaged Bangladeshis while reinforcing nonviolent, formal pathways for resolving grievances.

• The Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Increasing Access to Justice in Bangladesh" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.703.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 21, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 16, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for INL18GR0057 JUSTICE BANGLADESH 062118

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: