Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Saturday stressed the urgency of establishing High Court benches outside Dhaka and appointing more additional High Court judges to tackle the growing backlog of cases and alleviate the struggles of justice seekers.
Speaking at a regional seminar titled Judicial Independence and Efficiency in Bangladesh at Dusai Resort, Moulvibazar, the Chief Justice outlined key reforms aimed at modernising the judiciary.
He also announced plans to establish specialised commercial courts to expedite the resolution of business disputes and boost economic growth.
The seminar, jointly organised by the Bangladesh Supreme Court and the United Nations Development Programme, brought together judicial officers from Sylhet, Habiganj, and Moulvibazar.
Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, a senior judge of the Appellate Division, presided over the event.
This was the second regional seminar on judicial reform, following a similar event held in Chattogram on January 20.
The chief justice, who was the chief guest, emphasised the importance of utilising constitutional provisions to address judicial inefficiencies. Citing Articles 98 and 100 of the Constitution, he noted Article 98 allows for the appointment of additional judges to temporarily enhance the capacity of the High Court, Article 100 enables High Court sessions to be held outside Dhaka, making justice more accessible to people in different regions.
Justice Refaat Ahmed urged Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, who chairs the Supreme Court Special Committee for Judicial Reform, to prioritise exploring these constitutional mechanisms.