Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed has said that the Ministry of Law has made significant progress in establishing a separate secretariat for the judiciary, and the work of drafting the related ordinance is progressing swiftly.
He made the comment on Saturday while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Judicial Independence and Efficiency in Bangladesh,” held at a hotel in Khulna, reports Bangla Tribune.
The event was jointly organized by the Bangladesh Supreme Court and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
In his speech, the chief justice emphasized the vital role of the judiciary in ensuring justice and the rule of law, and he outlined the progress in implementing the judicial reform roadmap he had previously announced.
He noted that, due to the proactive stance of the interim government, it was possible to draft the ordinance for the appointment of judges to the higher courts within a short period.
The Bangladesh Supreme Court and the interim government are working closely together to successfully implement the roadmap initiatives.
Refaat said: “With the government’s recent support, a significant number of new judicial posts have been created at various levels to address the backlog of cases in the courts, which will play an important role in reducing case congestion in the near future.”
He also mentioned that preliminary work to establish specialized commercial courts has already been completed.
The chief justice added: “Two special committees are continuously working to swiftly establish the Supreme Court Research Institute in Cox’s Bazar.”
Referring to the post-July uprising period, Refaat said that the judiciary of Bangladesh has embarked on a new journey.
“Various crucial insights regarding the implementation of the roadmap have emerged from the regional seminars held across the country. These inputs will be incorporated into a strategic plan for the overall modernization of the judiciary, which the Bangladesh Supreme Court will begin drafting soon. The successful implementation of this strategic plan will bring fulfillment to the judiciary’s new journey after the July revolution and restore the public’s lost trust in the judicial system,” he said.
The seminar, focused on ensuring judicial independence and enhancing service efficiency, was presided over by Justice Mohammad Ali of the High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court.
UNDP Bangladesh’s Resident Representative Stefan Liller delivered a welcome speech, and European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller, along with Swedish Ambassador Nicholas Weeks, also spoke at the event as special guests.
