In a historic development, Bangladesh has appointed 25 additional judges to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court through the newly formed Supreme Judicial Appointment Council for the very first time.
The appointments were made under the Supreme Court Judges Appointment Ordinance 2025, introduced by the interim government to bring greater transparency and accountability in judicial appointments.
The President made the appointments on the recommendation of the council, led by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed.
The newly appointed judges are set to serve for up to two years, with their appointment taking effect from the date of oath-taking.
Chief Justice Ahmed administered their oath on Tuesday.
The process of appointment began with a public call for applications, which drew several hundred submissions.
Following rigorous scrutiny, more than 50 candidates were shortlisted.
After interviews conducted by the council, the final list of 25 was recommended to the President. The official gazette, signed by Law Secretary Sheikh Abu Taher on August 25, confirmed the appointments under Articles 95(1) and 98 of the Constitution.
This marks the first time in Bangladesh’s judicial history that High Court judges have been appointed through such a structured and competitive process, signaling a shift toward merit-based judicial recruitment.
The appointees include senior officials from the Law and Justice Division, the Supreme Court Registrar General, Solicitor, Judicial Service Commission Secretary, seven Deputy Attorneys General, and nine practicing lawyers of the Supreme Court.
Among those appointed are Law Secretary Sheikh Abu Taher himself, along with other prominent legal professionals such as Jasmine Ara Begum, Fatema Anwar, and Syed Hasan Jubair.
