Groundwork for separate SC secretariat nears end: Chief Justice

Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed has announced that the groundwork for establishing a separate Supreme Court Secretariat is nearly complete.
"With the active cooperation of the Interim Government and in adherence to constitutional obligations, we are moving toward ending the dual administration of postings, transfers, and disciplinary matters. This will establish true autonomy, a long-overdue structural correction," the Chief Justice further stated while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on Thursday.
The seminar, titled "Judicial Independence and Efficiency in Bangladesh," was held at a hotel in Barishal. It was jointly organized by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, a Judge of the Supreme Court's Appellate Division, presided over the seminar.
Apart from this, Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Nicolas Weeks, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh, Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, Ambassador of Norway to Bangladesh, Michael Miller, EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Bangladesh, Stefan Liller, Resident Representative of the UNDP Bangladesh, among others, also attended the programme.
The Chief Justice stated that Bangladesh's growing economy demanded a justice system capable of keeping pace with its rapid development.
"Complex commercial disputes cannot remain entangled in the general docket," he said. "They require a dedicated forum, one that operates with speed, expertise, and certainty."
With this vision, the Supreme Court, under his leadership, developed the draft Commercial Court Ordinance, 2025, a forward-looking framework shaped by rigorous research, broad consultation, and comparative legal study.
The proposal, submitted to the government, envisioned not only the establishment of specialized commercial courts but also streamlined procedures, specially trained judges, and technology-driven processes designed to ensure swift and predictable outcomes, the Chief Justice said.
"For decades, jurists, scholars, and citizens alike voiced the universal demand for an open, credible, and collegium-based system of appointing judges to the apex court. That aspiration has now been realized through the enactment of the Supreme Judicial Appointment Council Ordinance, 2025," Justice Ahmed further said.

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