A side alignment technique for polarization-maintaining fibers using the forward scattering pattern of a narrow-linewidth helium-neon laser is proposed. By rotating the fiber axis and observing changes in the scattering pattern, the fast and slow axes of the polarization-maintaining fiber can be precisely positioned. This technology addresses the inefficiencies and inaccuracies of traditional methods in measuring bow-tie or small-diameter polarization-maintaining fibers, providing essential support for their application in communication and sensing fields. Through experiments, the relationship between the rotation angle of the polarization-maintaining fiber and the intensity of the scattering pattern is examined.Results reveal that rotation alters the azimuth angle of the fast and slow axes, leading to corresponding changes in the scattering pattern's position. The analysis of the relationship between the rotation angle and scattering pattern reveal that the broad peak characteristic value is a more accurate and reliable metric for positioning the fast and slow axes of polarization-maintaining fibers. In addition, the effects of laser and fiber positioning on scattering patterns are examined. The Y-axis position offsets are particularly sensitive to the scattering patterns, whereas the fiber-to-light-screen distance significantly influences the spacing between scattering patterns. An experimental platform is constructed to validate the universality and practicality of broad peak characteristic values for fast and slow axis positioning in polarization-maintaining fibers.