Advanced training programs on professional ethics will be organised in phases for lawyers across all divisions of the country, with the Chittagong and Khulna divisions to be covered initially this year.
The decision was made at a meeting on Sunday morning between the Attorney General of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Bar Council Chairman Barrister Mohammad Ruhul Quddus Kajol and a delegation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Shah Mohammad Nahiyan, head of the UNODC Bangladesh office, and Romana Schweiger, senior adviser on rule of law, justice and security at the UNDP, attended the meeting. They exchanged views with the attorney general on matters of mutual interest and potential areas of future cooperation.
Under the decision, lawyers from district bars and chowki bars in each division will participate in the advanced ethics training on a representative basis. The program will initially be held in the Chittagong and Khulna divisions by the end of 2026 before being expanded to other divisions in phases.
The training aims to strengthen lawyers’ commitment to professional integrity, independence, human dignity, human rights and the rule of law. It will also focus on professional ethics and accountability within the justice system.
Earlier, with support from the UN and UNDP, a two-day advanced training program on professional ethics was held on September 18 and 19 for deputy and assistant attorney generals serving at the Office of the Attorney General of Bangladesh.
The training, titled “Strengthening Principles and Practices of Professional Ethics for Prosecutors at the Office of the Attorney General of Bangladesh,” was held in Dhaka.
Following that program, the initiative has now been expanded to include lawyers across the country.
The meeting also discussed observing International Anti-Corruption Day on December 9. It was decided that the day would be observed through a joint initiative involving the UNDP, the Ministry of Law and the Office of the Attorney General.