Prioritise humanity over money

Lawyers should put humanitarian values, professional integrity and competence above financial gain and ensure that everyone receives proper legal representation regardless of their ability to pay, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman has said.

“When a distressed person approaches a lawyer, they place their confidence, faith, expectations and dreams in that professional. A lawyer's foremost responsibility is to advance sound legal arguments on behalf of the client, irrespective of their financial capacity,” he said.

The minister made the remarks as chief guest at the inauguration of the 17th Henry Dunant Memorial Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), in the capital's Bashundhara Residential Area on Friday.

Jointly organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and IUB, the competition brings together university students to develop their legal research, advocacy and understanding of humanitarian law.

Asaduzzaman said success in the legal profession required perseverance, thorough research and commitment rather than a focus on financial rewards. He stressed that every word and argument mattered in court and required careful preparation.

Describing free legal assistance to disadvantaged people as a form of “professional zakat”, he urged lawyers to stand beside the vulnerable and make humanitarian service part of their professional ethics.
The minister also explained the distinction between international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law, saying the former governs conduct during armed conflicts, while the latter protects individuals' fundamental rights.

He said warfare was changing, with economic pressure, trade embargoes, commercial disputes and visa restrictions increasingly used as instruments of geopolitical influence. The growing use of artificial intelligence had also created new challenges for the application of humanitarian law.

Addressing young people, he referred to the Liberation War, the 1990 mass uprising and the 2024 mass uprising as defining moments that reflected the aspirations of different generations. He urged the younger generation to contribute to nation-building through knowledge, wisdom, hard work and commitment.

IUB Vice-Chancellor Professor M Tamim chaired the programme. Didar A Hossain, chairman of the university's Board of Trustees; Nicolas Fleury, head of the ICRC delegation in Bangladesh; and Professor Borhan Uddin Khan, adviser to the IUB School of Law, also spoke.

A total of 29 teams from 29 universities submitted written legal arguments, known as memorials, and research papers. Sixteen teams qualified for the quarter-finals.
The competition aims to strengthen students' skills in international humanitarian law, legal research, analysis, humanitarian protection during armed conflict and courtroom advocacy.