Bangladesh chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Thursday said that the upcoming national seminar on judicial independence and efficiency, scheduled for June 22, will mark a turning point for the country鈥檚 judiciary.
The chief adviser of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, will be present as chief guest at the seminar scheduled to be held at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka.聽
Besides, law adviser Asif Nazrul, attorney general Md Asaduzzaman and senior Appellate Division judge Md Ashfaqul Islam will be present as special guests at the programme.
United Nations Development Programme resident representative in Bangladesh, Stefan Liller, will deliver the welcome address.
A total of 450 distinguished guests have been invited to the event.
鈥業 will strongly reaffirm the messages I鈥檝e been delivering over the past seven to eight months. This time, I will speak more boldly and clearly,鈥� the chief justice told journalists while inspecting the ongoing relocation process of courts from the newly built 10-storey Bijoy 71 building to several floors of the adjacent four-storeyed Supreme Court Annex building.
The relocation aims to ease access for litigants and lawyers, following requests from the Supreme Court Bar Association.
鈥楢fter June 22, you will see the direction we are heading,鈥� he added.
The chief justice said the seminar will present a comprehensive update on judicial reform efforts, including initiatives already implemented and those currently under government review.
He will also elaborate on the reform roadmap introduced on September 21, 2024, months after he assumed the post of chief justice.
The roadmap outlined measures to ensure judicial independence and institutional efficiency.
As part of his reform agenda, the chief justice proposed the formation of two independent Supreme Court bodies鈥攖he Supreme Judicial Appointment Council and the Supreme Judicial Council鈥攖o oversee the appointment and removal of judges without government interference.
A key proposal, still pending with the government, seeks to establish a separate Supreme Court Secretariat.
This would end the dual administrative control of the judiciary by the law ministry and the Supreme Court, paving the way for full administrative independence.
To combat corruption and modernise court services, the Supreme Court has rolled out paperless systems, a digital case dashboard, and two helpline services.聽
For the first time since 2015, judges鈥� profiles are also being updated.
In the lead-up to the seminar, the chief justice has already held regional workshops with stakeholders across all eight divisions, as well as dedicated sessions with journalists to discuss the challenges and priorities of reform.
