At the outset of the study, it can be stated that Bangladeshi law graduates have a wide range of options both domestically and abroad. Through the Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission, graduates can pursue careers as advocates, advance to the High Court and Appellate Division, or become judges under the legal system, which combines aspects of common and civil law. Law degrees are offered by both public and private universities; private universities are governed by the Private University Act of 2010. Law graduates have employment options outside of the typical legal field, including the government, the military, multinational corporations, and non-governmental organizations. In the UK, Australia, and North America, they can pursue chances as barristers, among other international prospects. Universities provide court visits, advocacy training, and moot courts to improve practical skills. The futures of law graduates in Bangladesh are bright and varied, including opportunities in legal practice, academia, and international law.

Conceptual Issues of the Legal System, Legal Education and Opportunities in Bangladesh

Due to Bangladeshs mixed legal system, which incorporates aspects of personal, civil, and common law, graduates have access to a wide variety of legal careers. Bangladeshs public and private institutions have developed their legal curricula over time, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees such as LL.B. and LL.M. programs that offer a thorough legal education. In Bangladesh, a law graduate can pursue a variety of career paths. These include working as an advocate in lower courts, eventually rising to the High Court and Appellate Divisions of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, or even becoming a Senior Advocate upon fulfilling particular qualifications established by the Bangladesh Bar Council. Graduates can also work as legal consultants for governmental and private organizations, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations, or as law officers representing the state. Law graduates have other employment options beyond practicing law. These include joining the judiciary, pursuing academic pursuits, or exploring overseas legal jobs such as becoming an attorney in Canada, the USA, or Australia, or a barrister in the UK. Bangladeshs legal education system places a strong emphasis on hands-on learning through advocacy sessions, moot courts, and internships, making graduates ready for domestic and international legal issues. All things considered, the opportunities for law graduates in Bangladesh are vast, providing avenues for professional development and specialization both domestically and abroad, underscoring the dynamic and developing character of the legal industry. In Bangladesh, for obtaining Law Degree the public universities opened their doors at first. But afterwards by the enactment of the Private University Act, 1992, the Private Universities in Bangladesh got the opportunity to open law and getting this opportunity more private universities inaugurated Law Department with a number of programs, like, LL.B. and LL.M. Programs. Further, currently all private universities are run by the Private University Act, 2010 under the control and close monitoring of Education Ministry and University Grants Commissions (UGC). After receiving the degree, a law graduate can practice in the subordinate courts being a learned Advocate by getting license from Bangladesh Bar Council after pleasing all formal procedures. An Advocate who is LLM Degree holder getting 50% marks or Barrister-at-Law degree receiver after expiry of 1 year from the date of enrolment or an Advocate who has no such requirements after ending of 2 years from the date of enrolment may be eligible to take part in the High court permission test taken by Bangladesh Bar Council and after overcoming the test the said Advocate could be an Advocate of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. An Advocate of the High Court Division who by this time passed 5 years in legal practice can be an Advocate and Advocate-on- Record of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh by satisfying necessary conditions. Too, an Advocate of the Appellate Division after expiration of 10 years legal practice in the High Court Division may be a Senior Advocate of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh by gratifying required formalities (The Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972). An Advocate may be engaged as law officers before the subordinate courts as well as the Supreme Court of Bangladesh appo-inted by the Government of Bangladesh to represent the State as to the civil and criminal matters. The law officers of the subordinate courts are honored as Government Pleader (GP) in civil side and Public Prosecutor (PP) in criminal side. But the law officers of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh are regarded as Attorney General of Bangladesh, Additional Attorney General for Bangladesh, and Deputy Attorney General for Bangladesh and Assistant Attorney General for Bangladesh (The Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972). What is more an Advocate may be a legal Advisor or a Panel Lawyer of any public or private institutions and even an Advocate of Bangladesh may represent his client in international level as well in some special cases. A law graduate can also be an Assistant Judge under Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission (BJSC) after qualifying and after running out of 10 (ten) years in legal profession in the Honorable High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, a learned Advocate or 10 years experienced District.

Additional District Judge of the Subordinate judiciary has the opportunity to be appointed as a Justice in the Honorable High Court Division (The Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972).The honorable Judges of the High Court Division may be entitled to be Judge or honorable Chief Justice of Bangladesh. Even he/she can be appointed as an honorable Justice of ICJ (International Court of Justice) and ICC (International Criminal Court) as well. Overall, the scope of working of a law graduate is spread all over the world and not limited by the boundary of his country only.

Additionally, after completion of LL.B. (Honors) and LL.M. in Bangladesh if a law graduate wants to become a Barrister, he/she will get one year exemption from all the universities of the United Kingdom (U.K.) in LLB Program. At the moment, a law graduate of Bangladesh may be a Barrister after accomplishment of 1 year PGDL (Post Graduate Diploma in Law) Program and 1 year BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course) and an Advocate of Bangladesh would also be a Barrister after over-coming BTT (Bar Transfer Test) Course held in UK. Besides, Bangladeshi law graduates may be a Barrister of Australia, Attorney of Canada and United States of America (USA). 

Like other disciplines, he/she can be a government officers through Public Service Commission (PSC) and may get job in any Bank, Multi-national Companies, Educational Institutions, NGOs, such as- BLAST, Ain-Shalishi-Kendro, BELA, Bangladesh Manobadhiker Basto bayon Songstha, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and in different specialized agencies of UNO (United Nations Organization) etc. Furthermore, he/she can be a Judge-in-Advocate in Army, Navy, and Air Forces (The Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972).

Findings of the Study

The employability of law graduates in Bangladesh is influenced by a combination of academic perfor-mance, essential skills, and industry expectations. Key factors include:

Academic Performance

Strong academic records (CGPA) are crucial, as they are often a primary criterion for employers (Sajjad, H., et al., 2021). Law graduates must demonstrate a solid understanding of legal principles, which is foundational for their employability (Ahmad, T., 2020).

Essential Skills

Employers prioritize soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and leadership, which are vital for effective legal practice (Rana, S. M., et al., 2017). Information technology skills are increasingly important, as the legal field adapts to technological advancements (Hasan, M. S., et al., 2022).

Career Preparation

Career education and practical experiences, such as internships; significantly enhance employability by providing real-world exposure. Networking and involvement in extracurricular activities can also improve job prospects for law graduates (Chowdhury, M. D., 2023). While these factors are critical, some argue that the legal education system in Bangladesh may not fully align with industry needs, potentially hindering graduates readiness for the job market.

In conclusion, Bangladeshi law graduates have numerous career options both domestically and internationally, but they also face a number of challenges, including fierce competition, a shortage of positions in higher judiciary, and the need for ongoing professional development to meet global standards. Despite these challenges, graduates get compre-hensive education and hands-on training that prepares them to thrive in a range of industries both within and outside the countrys borders, as well as handle the changing legal landscape. Furthermore, the law departments of all relevant public and private universities in Bangladesh are taking a number of effective steps to inform the students about these practical-oriented lessons. For example, the Depart-ment regularly organizes debate competitions among the students to help them become more eloquent, and the students are also sent to the courts to gain practical knowledge about the legal profession and the court environment. It is well known that a law graduate should possess both practical and bookish knowledge. Also, the authority of the University circulates magazines and journals regularly where both the teachers and students can contribute their writings. Even, the Department of Law deals the moot court and Advocacy Training Sessions for making the Students proficient enough to be the best Mooter and to appear at the examinations successfully arranged by Bangladesh Bar Council for being an Advocate as well as Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission to be a Judge. It is pertinent to mention here that a law graduate may involve himself as a teacher of any public or private university and by teaching profession he/she may be promoted to Professor of Law. A law graduate can be an excellent researcher and get an M.Phil. or PhD from a reputable domestic or international university, which is advantageous for securing a successful career in teaching. Furthermore, in order to address these problems, Bangladeshs legal education system has to undergo a thorough and thoughtful overhaul that takes inspiration from other countries or from crossing international borders. Bangladesh might adopt the one-year post-graduate legal training program offered by England. Completing the bar course is a prerequisite for admission as a barrister to one of England and Wales four Inns of Court. After being admitted to the bar, the person must finish a pupillage. The legal practice course for lawyers is the name given to the post-graduate vocational degree (The Business Standard News, April 4, 2023). Law graduates must finish the Professional Legal Studies Course in order to practice law in New Zealand as a barrister or solicitor. To practice law in a Hong Kong court, a law graduate from Asia just needs a post-graduate certificate in law. Law graduates can work as advocates anywhere in the Commonwealth of Nations after completing Malaysias nine-month vocational curriculum, which culminates in a Certificate in Legal Practice (The Business Standard News, April 4, 2023). Advanced vocational courses are taught in academic institutions. However, law graduates in Bangladesh must rely on question papers and private tuition to pass the single bar council test. The situation is unlikely to improve until we can address the challenges raised above and enact major reforms that benefit the nations law graduates. Finally, it can be held that the discussion mentioned above has made it clear that both in home and abroad the prospects of a law graduates are very bright and it is expected that the students who are nurtured in different universities in Bangladesh will be competent enough to participate in the competitive legal field in a democratic and developing country like Bangladesh as well as all over the world. 

M.A.M.B. Conceptualization, writing the original draft of the manuscript, and M.N.I. Investigation, reviewing, abstract writing, supervision, editing, and corresponding of the manuscript.

First and foremost, the authors would like to thank the Almighty for granting them the strength, knowledge, ability, and opportunity to conduct this research study. Without His blessings, this work would not have been completed satisfactorily. The authors would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to their mentors, Professor Dr. M. Anisur Rahman and Professor Dr. M. Ahsan Kabir, Department of Law, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, for their proper supervision and enthusiastic encouragement. Finally, the authors thank anonymous reviewers and the journal editor for their insightful suggestions and comments that helped to improve the manuscript too.

There is no conflict of interest from the authors end with respect to the research work.