Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain has extended the closure of all courts across the country till May 5 to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court decided to operate courts in a limited way during the ongoing government ‘holiday’ forced by the Covid-19 crisis.
A statement was issued in this regard by the highest court signed by Md Saifur Rahman, special officer and spokesperson of the Supreme Court, on Sunday.
The latest decision to keep all courts closed came following a full court meeting by video conference, for the first time ever in the history of Bangladesh’s judiciary, with 88 judges of both the Appellate and High Court divisions of the Supreme Court.
During the full court meeting it was also decided to amend the Appellate Division rules and the High Court Division rules for holding virtual hearings of cases using online platforms and video conferencing, said the statement.
The rules committee of the Supreme Court will also be reconstructed, added the statement.
“The Supreme Court Special Committee for Judicial Reforms, through video conferencing, will train judges and lawyers in holding virtual hearings and disposing of cases on digital platforms. The special committee will keep the chief justice well informed about the overall progress of this initiative,” the statement said.
In the meeting, the judges of the lower courts were directed to remain at their respective offices and keep periodic contact with the registrar general of the Supreme Court during this ‘holiday’ forced by the coronavirus.
As of Sunday, Bangladesh has confirmed 5,416 coronavirus cases with the death toll rising to 145 after five new fatalities were reported.
The fast spreading Covid-19 has so far killed 203,000 people in more than 200 countries and territories.
