Acting Attorney General Mohammad Arshadur Rouf has called upon the newly appointed Chief Justice to eradicate corruption from all levels of the judiciary through a comprehensive cleansing drive.
He made the comment on Sunday while speaking at a reception held in the Appellate Division courtroom in honour of the newly appointed Chief Justice, Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury.
The reception was organized jointly by the Office of the Attorney General and the Supreme Court Bar Association.
In his speech, the acting attorney general highlighted the grave dangers of intellectual corruption alongside economic corruption.
He said: “The biggest challenge facing the judiciary is corruption. This toxic presence has affected all officials and employees connected with the judicial process. Therefore, the nation expects the judiciary to be free from all kinds of syndicates and corruption.”
He further stated: “Intellectual corruption is more destructive than dynamite, more terrifying than an atom bomb, and more deadly than cancer. Hence, corruption must be eradicated from every level of the judiciary through a cleansing drive.” He emphasized the importance of reminding all judicial officials, from higher to lower courts, about this challenge.
Referring to the context of the past 15 years, Arshadur Rouf said: “In the past, the judiciary was used as an instrument of partisanship and political criminalization. Instead of justice for the oppressed, injustice prevailed. However, after the successful student–public uprising on 5 August, a door of immense possibility has been opened.”
He added: “The first pledge of the new Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign judicial system. This will be the first step towards building the Bangladesh of our dreams.”
Welcoming the initiative to establish an independent Supreme Court Secretariat, he said: “The great responsibility of its control and guardianship now rests on the shoulders of the Chief Justice. Ensuring an environment that guarantees the intellectual independence of judges is now the most important task.”
On the issue of case backlogs, the acting attorney general noted that there are currently 39,417 pending cases in the Appellate Division and 637,882 cases in the High Court Division. He warned that such a massive backlog could create frustration and a loss of confidence among justice-seeking citizens. Emphasizing speedy disposal of cases, he said: “At the same time, we must remain vigilant about the principle of ‘justice hurried is justice buried’.”
He also urged that, in appointing judges, priority be given not only to academic qualifications but also to moral integrity, honesty and courage. In this regard, he expressed hope that the ‘Supreme Judicial Appointment Council’, formed under the Supreme Court Judges Appointment Ordinance, 2025, would play a historic role.
Concluding his speech, he quoted a verse from Surah Al-Ma’idah of the Holy Qur’an: “When you judge, judge between them with justice. Surely, Allah loves those who are just.” He expressed confidence that under the leadership of the Chief Justice, the judiciary would regain its lost glory and dignity and would never again become a centre for vested interests.
Leaders and members of the Supreme Court Bar Association, along with other lawyers, were present at the reception.
