Attorney General Mohammad Ruhul Quddus Kazal on Friday highlighted the importance of integrity, independence and respect for the rule of law in prosecutorial practice, stressing that the responsibility of government law officers goes beyond winning cases and extends to protecting constitutional safeguards, fairness and the public interest.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the opening of a training program in Dhaka on “Strengthening the Principles and Practices of Prosecutorial Ethics for the Attorney General’s Office of Bangladesh,” organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for South Asia.
The two-day program aims to strengthen ethical and professional decision-making among government law officers and attorneys and promote the application of international standards on the role of prosecutors, with a focus on independence, impartiality, evidence handling, arrest, remand and bail, victims and witnesses, professional integrity, and coordination across justice institutions.
The attorney general emphasized that prosecutorial ethics must be reflected in daily practice. He highlighted the need to ensure lawful arrest and detention, maintain evidentiary integrity, disclose material favorable to accused persons, protect victims and witnesses, preserve independent legal judgment, and resist conflicts of interest or improper external pressure.
He also called for a professional culture within the Attorney General’s Office where integrity is non-negotiable, misconduct is addressed, and the rule of law is upheld for every citizen.
Kristian Hölge, regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for South Asia, underscored the particular responsibility prosecutors carry in the justice system.
“Your core duty is not to win. Your core duty is to do justice. You must search for the truth, not just the conviction,” Hölge said.
Stephen Rodriques, resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh, highlighted the importance of ethical decision-making in strengthening public confidence in justice institutions.
“Public confidence and trust in justice institutions can be rebuilt one decision at a time,” Rodriques said.
He stressed that justice is ultimately about whether people are treated with dignity and respect and whether decisions are based on facts and law rather than wealth, status or influence.
The opening session also included Additional Attorney General Aneek R. Haque; Romana Schweiger, senior rule of law, justice and security adviser at UNDP; and Shah Mohammad Naheeaan, head of office of UNODC in Bangladesh.
Through practical discussions and regional perspectives, the training seeks to translate ethical principles into everyday professional practice, with the broader aim of strengthening institutional integrity, protecting rights and building public confidence in Bangladesh’s justice system.