Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Sunday stated that judicial ethics, fairness, and integrity in the country have been destroyed and distorted over the past years.
"The judiciary is not free from the current state of disarray in the country. After August 5, you have seen the disarray in the hearts of the entire country, and that situation is also present in our judiciary. We are trying to make appropriate reforms. I would even like to assure you that our journey has begun with some institutional reforms in the judiciary," the Chief Justice commented at a citizen conference in Dhaka.
Citizen Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh organised the conference titled "People-Centric Reform for Good Governance: Aspirations of Disadvantaged Communities" at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Agargaon, Dhaka. In his address as the chief guest, the Chief Justice said, "At this moment, we are standing on the rubble. Over the years, the principles of justice and fairness in our judicial process have been destroyed and distorted. Dishonesty has replaced integrity, deprivation has replaced rights, oppression has replaced justice, and persecution has replaced refuge - turning these abnormalities into norms."
He acknowledged the sacrifices made by students during the July mass uprising, which brought new freedom. "This revolution and student movement gave us a huge opportunity to stand by the oppressed and persecuted people. We have to make good use of this opportunity," the Chief Justice noted.
"We have to ensure that justice is not delayed. At the same time, we have to be more proactive in protecting civil rights. If civil rights are not protected, then the rights of the backward communities will not be protected. Otherwise, we will fail to fulfil the main desire of freedom," he added.
"We must embark on a new journey. This challenge is enormous. From today, in every noble, positive, and welfare-oriented initiative, the judiciary will remain committed to the people and focused on the public. At this critical juncture in the country's history, the judiciary is not exempt from this state of decay," he added. He assured the audience that the judiciary has already taken bold steps to implement institutional reforms aimed at addressing this situation and has embarked on a transformative path. The Chief Justice also mentioned that this historic moment of victory for students and the public offers a golden opportunity to stand beside the oppressed and persecuted. "We must always ensure that we make the best use of this opportunity," he noted. Taking part in the conference, Honorary Fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Head of the White Paper Preparation Committee Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said, "To consolidate and strengthen the country's democracy, the dialogue with the interim government must continue. The door to dialogue must be kept open for everyone. At the same time, reforms must continue for good governance. The backward communities must be given priority."
