Justice Syed Refat Ahmed has been sworn in as the 25th Chief Justice of Bangladesh.
At 12:45 PM on Sunday, President Md. Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to him at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban. The ceremony was attended by the interim government’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, other advisers, military and civilian officials, the Attorney General, senior lawyers, journalists, and Supreme Court judges.
Justice Syed Refat Ahmed was appointed Chief Justice after the resignation of the 24th Chief Justice, Obaidul Hassan, on August 10, following demands from the anti-discrimination student movement. President Md. Shahabuddin appointed Justice Syed Refat Ahmed to the position under Article 95(1) of the Constitution. His appointment is effective from the date of the oath, as mentioned in the notification.
Justice Syed Refat Ahmed obtained his law degree from Dhaka University and later earned a BA and MA from the UK. He also holds a PhD from the United States. Born on December 28, 1958, Justice Syed Refat Ahmed began practicing in district courts in 1984, joined the High Court in 1986, and was enrolled in the Appellate Division in 2002. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court on April 27, 2003, and became a permanent Judge two years later. He is the son of the late Barrister Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed, a former caretaker government adviser, and the late National Professor Sufia Ahmed.
