Department of Law and Human Rights - University of Asia Pacific

Overview

The University of Asia Pacific (UAP) was established in 1996 under the Private University Act 1992 with the vision of expanding access to quality higher education in Bangladesh. From its inception, the University has steadily progressed, offering a range of undergraduate programs across several disciplines. All academic curricula are duly approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Government of Bangladesh, ensuring recognized academic standards.

In pursuit of this mission, the Department of Law and Human Rights was established in 2005 to respond to the growing need for contemporary legal education. Over the years, the Department has evolved into a vibrant academic centre dedicated to developing skilled, ethical, and socially responsible legal professionals.

The Department offers three academic programs: LLB (Honours), LLM (General), and the Master of Human Rights (MHR) Program. The LLM (General) program is also offered in collaboration with the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS), providing an international dimension to postgraduate legal education.

Committed to accessibility, academic excellence, and innovation, the Department continues to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of legal education in Bangladesh.

Our Vision

To emerge as a Center of Excellence in legal education at home and in the region.

Our Mission

To provide comprehensive legal education through rigorous classroom instruction and practical training in a supportive, dynamic and innovative learning environment with a view to enabling them to think independently and creatively, reason critically, act with compassion and respect others, while expressing themselves cogently and thereby preparing them as competent legal professionals to suit the needs of a dynamic world imbued with the spirit of public service and dedicated to pursue the highest ideals of law, justice and universal human rights.

Academic Programs

Our comprehensive curriculum prepares students for successful careers in Law and Human Rights.

LLB (Honours)

The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) is a four-year undergraduate degree designed to prepare students for diverse careers in law, the judiciary, public service, policymaking, and advocacy.

Duration: 4 years (8 semesters)
Admission: 75 students per semester
Curriculum: Theory and practical training

Program Details

LLM (General)

The LLM (General) is a one-year postgraduate law degree that offers advanced legal knowledge and research skills in human rights and commercial law.

Duration: 1 year (2 semesters)
Admission: 30 students per semester
Specialized research opportunities

Program Details

UMSAILS LLM Program

The LLM (General) Program, offered in collaboration with the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS), is a one-year postgraduate law degree that provides law graduates from South Asian countries the opportunity to pursue advanced legal studies with full or partial scholarships.

Duration: 1 year (2 semesters)
Admission: 30 students per semester
Specialized research opportunities

Program Details

Master of Human Rights

The Master of Human Rights program is designed to provide you with a theoretical and practical understanding of international human rights law in its broader political, development and gender context.

Duration: 2 year (4 semesters)
Admission: 20 students per semester
Specialized research opportunities

Program Details

Message from the Head of the Department

Dr. Noor-E-Medina Suraiya Jesmin

Assistant Professor & Head of the Department

Department of Law and Human Rights University of Asia Pacific (UAP)

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Welcome to the Department of Law and Human Rights at the University of Asia Pacific (UAP), located in the heart of Dhaka. Founded in 1996 to advance quality higher education through academic rigor and inclusive excellence, UAP continues to uphold this mandate across all disciplines. Established in 2005 and duly approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Department is committed to the highest standards of legal scholarship.

It is a privilege to serve as Head of the Department at a time when tertiary legal education has transitioned to an Outcome-Based Education (OBE) framework, ensuring measurable academic and professional competencies. The Department offers the LLB (Honours), LLM (General), and, in collaboration with the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS), the UMSAILS LLM Program—currently the only international LLM program among both private and public universities in Bangladesh. The Master of Human Rights program further strengthens interdisciplinary scholarship in international human rights law, humanitarian law, gender justice, and governance. The Department has been rated “Very Good” by the External Peer Review Team (EPRT) of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Research excellence remains a central priority. Workshops, seminars, and distinguished lecture series are regularly organized with eminent jurists and scholars. Faculty members publish extensively in reputed forums, and the University of Asia Pacific Journal of Law and Policy (UAPJLP) stands as one of the leading peer-reviewed law journals in the country, with recent application submitted for SCOPUS indexing.

Our vision is to emerge as a Centre of Excellence in legal education both nationally and internationally. Through rigorous, research-driven, and practice-oriented training grounded in disciplined legal reasoning and principled argumentation, our graduates are prepared to uphold justice with competence and integrity in a dynamic global legal order.

As Head of the Department of Law and Human Rights, I warmly welcome you to UAP, where excellence shapes your legal career.

Dr. Noor-E-Medina Suraiya Jesmin

Assistant Professor & Head of the Department