Supreme Court officials on Saturday said that judicial reforms initiated by the interim government were designed to make the judiciary more transparent and accessible to people.
The law officials made the remarks at a day-long event titled 鈥楳utual Exchange: A Dialogue between the Supreme Court and Law Students from Public Universities鈥�, held by the Supreme Court at its auditorium in the capital Dhaka with the support of GIZ Bangladesh.
The Supreme Court held the special dialogue to engage law students from public universities in the ongoing judicial reform efforts.
Chaired by Appellate Division registrar Mohammad Hasanuzzaman, the dialogue featured remarks from Supreme Court registrar general Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan, High Court Division registrar Mohammad Habibur Rahman Siddiquee, Islamic University law faculty dean Halima Khatun and GIZ senior adviser Syed Ziaul Hasan.
The reforms, launched in September 2024 after the ouster of the authoritarian Awami League regime in a student-led mass uprising on August 5, 2024, focus on enhancing judicial independence, transparency and efficiency.
Supreme Court officials stressed that this initiative was part of a broader push to modernise the judiciary under the leadership of chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed.
They outlined several key initiatives being implemented as part of this transformation.
A keynote paper presented by Md Muajjem Hussain, special officer of the High Court Division, detailed a reform road map.
The key proposals include reinstating the Supreme Judicial Council to oversee removal of Supreme Court judges, establishing a separate judicial secretariat for administrative autonomy, creating a transparent transfer and posting framework for subordinate court judges, forming a Supreme Judicial Appointment Council to ensure fair and open appointment of judges, introducing a Supreme Court helpline to improve public access to justice, recognising judges as part of a distinct judicial cadre similar to the administrative cadre, recommending a posting system involving the law ministry in consultation with the Supreme Court.
In addition, a 12-point directive has been issued to improve judicial service delivery and institutional performance.
鈥楾hese reforms are not symbolic. They are a serious effort to institutionalise change and restore public trust in the judiciary,鈥� said registrar general Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan.
High Court Division registrar Mohammad Habibur Rahman Siddiquee said, 鈥楾hese reforms are designed to make the judiciary more transparent, accountable and accessible to people.鈥�
This event allowed students to engage themselves directly with senior judges and understand how these reforms are being implemented in real time and, in return, judges gained insight into the views and expectations of the next generation of legal minds, he said.
Officials noted the importance of involving the next generation of legal professionals in shaping a more modern and responsive justice system.
The dialogue brought together 60 law students from 15 universities, including Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Jahangirnagar.
