Govt plans diversified employment opportunities for lawyers: Asaduzzaman

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said on Friday that the government plans to create diversified employment opportunities for lawyers, including making it mandatory for every company to appoint a lawyer to handle its legal affairs.

Just as every company is required to have a statutory auditor, it should also have a mandatory lawyer to deal with all legal matters, the minister said, adding that he had discussed the issue with the Commerce Minister. “I have said, amend the Companies Act, and I will check it myself.”

He made the remarks while speaking at the 26th Batch Orientation-2026 programme organised by the Dhaka Bar Association. Judges of Dhaka's subordinate courts, judicial officials, leaders of the Dhaka Bar Association and newly enrolled lawyers attended the programme.

The minister said the country currently has around 80,000 lawyers, including 35,000 in the Dhaka Bar. “People have questioned whether so many lawyers are needed and what they will do. But 80,000 lawyers are not too many for a population of 200 million.”

The legal profession is in its most deprived state when it comes to training facilities, he said, announcing that an allocation of Tk50 crore for the professional training of lawyers had already been announced and that the government was working to further develop the legal profession.

On the demand for a Lawyers' Protection Act, he said such legislation was necessary. However, he stressed that the Bar Council should also make tribunals dealing with professional misconduct more effective.

Misconduct by a few lawyers creates a negative perception of the entire profession, he said, adding that people are reluctant to rent out houses to them, let alone give their daughters in marriage.

Highlighting the contributions of workers and rickshaw-pullers to the country's development and growth, the minister urged lawyers not to focus solely on money. “You should handle 10 cases and take two for free. This is the zakat of the profession.”

Recalling the movement against fascism, he said the government was committed to good governance and wanted to close all avenues of wrongdoing and ensure justice for all killings and injustices.

Describing young lawyers as the brightest lights of the next generation, he urged them to uphold the dignity of the profession. He said there was no shortcut to becoming a lawyer, adding that restoring public confidence in the judiciary was also the responsibility of judges.

He criticised the lack of training and support for junior lawyers, saying many seniors overburden them without providing proper support, while some lawyers display political dominance in courtrooms.