At least 15 new High Court Division judges keep using hired vehicles because of a shortage of official transports and a lack of funding for car purchase.
The situation has raised serious concerns over judges鈥� security and the financial independence of the judiciary, legal experts said.
They said that the current situation highlighted the urgent need for institutional reforms, including financial independence, to protect the dignity, security and operational autonomy of the judiciary.
The Supreme Court鈥檚 registrar general Mohammad Habibur Rahman Siddiquee said that they had requested the government to provide vehicles from the government鈥檚 transport pool for the new judges.
They were, however, informed that no suitable cars were available for the judges, he said.
鈥業 also spoke to the finance secretary at a recent meeting to arrange funds for the purchase of cars for the new judges. But, there was no positive response,鈥� he said in the past week.
As a result, the Supreme Court rented 15 cars on a daily basis to meet the transport needs, he said.
Each of the cars is hired for Tk 1 lakh a month. And,聽 225 litres of fuel per car per month is provided separately.
The cars come with drivers supplied by various rent-a-car companies.
Shamsur Rahman Babul, who was contacted by the Supreme Court鈥檚 transport section, arranged for the rented vehicles based on a verbal agreement.
He said that the vehicles were arranged temporarily and would be returned once official cars were procured.
However, Babul noted challenges in the arrangement. Some drivers were reluctant to work the long hours required by the judges, while a few judges complained about unprofessional behaviour from them.
鈥榃e鈥檙e constantly under pressure鈥攃alls come day and night,鈥� said Babul, pointing out that the drivers from rental services are not used to the 24-hour duty schedule demanded by the judiciary.
A court official said that government-appointed drivers are better trained to understand the needs and protocol of Supreme Court judges.
Retired district judge Masdar Hossain, a key figure in the movement to separate the judiciary from the executive branch, told 抖阴精品 that financial independence was one of the core principles behind the 1999 Appellate Division directives aiming at ensuring judicial separation.
The practice of renting cars for Supreme Court judges shows that judicial independence exists only on paper, said Masder Hossain, who was also a member of the Judicial Reform Commission.
鈥楧idn鈥檛 the government know that new SC judges would be appointed? Why should a Supreme Court judge have to use a rented car?鈥� he wanted to know.
Many judges feel undermined and demoralised as they are given rental vehicles, he said.
I accompanied a newly appointed judge on his first official ride. When I saw it was a rented car, I requested him not to tell anyone,鈥� he added.
The Supreme Court currently has 173 official vehicles, but many are in poor condition.
An official said that 113 High Court judges, seven Appellate Division judges including the chief justice, several retired judges, and 48 lower court judges who are now deputed to the Supreme Court鈥檚 registry office, are currently enjoying government car facilities.
Some were damaged during the July 2024 mass uprising that also saw parts of the Supreme Court Judges鈥� Complex vandalised.
Due to the funding crisis, these vehicles have not yet been repaired.
The court now spends about Tk 80 lakh per month to pay for the hired cars and drivers, the registrar general said.
He stressed the urgent need to establish a separate Supreme Court Secretariat to enable the judiciary to manage its own budget and reduce its dependency on the finance ministry.
鈥楾he judiciary receives its budget through the law ministry. Without financial autonomy, we cannot make essential purchases or decisions independently,鈥� he said.
Former Supreme Court registrar general and law secretary Md Golam Rabbani said the judiciary鈥檚 proposal to purchase cars still requires approval from the finance ministry, and the procurement process can begin only after the funds are released.
The judiciary must return the government-provided vehicles after using them for eight years, though replacements are not guaranteed, he said.
鈥楢 judge鈥檚 official car cannot be replaced before completing eight years of use,鈥� he added, referring to the transport use policy.聽聽
Fifteen of the 25 newly appointed High Court judges were given rented vehicles, mostly Premios, Allions, and Axios cars. The cars were distributed based on seniority.
Some judges have already reported mechanical issues with the rented vehicles.
Some judges were informed about the existing rented car policy, while others were not.
For security reasons, Supreme Court transport officials instructed the rental company to keep the hired cars either at the judges鈥� residences or in the court鈥檚 car parking area.
The appointments came after a major reshuffle in the judiciary by the interim government that took office on August 8, 2024, three days after the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5, 2024 amid a mass uprising.
A total of 48 new judges have been appointed in two phases since October 2024. Of them, the newly formed Supreme Judicial Appointment Council appointed the first batch of 25 High Court judges in August this year.
With the 25, the total number of High Court judges is now 113.
