Chief Justice (CJ) Syed Refaat Ahmed announced on Saturday that significant progress has been made by the Ministry of Law towards establishing a separate secretariat for the judiciary.

He confirmed that the drafting of an ordinance to this effect is proceeding swiftly.

Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Judicial Independence and Efficiency in Bangladesh”, held at a hotel in Khulna on Saturday, the Chief Justice elaborated on the developments. The seminar was jointly organized by the Supreme Court and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In his address, the Chief Justice emphasized the judiciary’s pivotal role in ensuring justice and the rule of law. He also provided updates on the implementation of the judicial reform roadmap he previously announced.

He noted that due to the proactive role of the interim government, it was possible to draft an ordinance for the expedited appointment of judges to the higher courts. The Chief Justice stated that the Supreme Court and the interim government are working closely together to implement the roadmap successfully.

He further stated that with government support, a significant number of new judicial posts have recently been created across various levels of the judiciary. This initiative is expected to play a critical role in resolving the longstanding backlog of cases.

Initial groundwork for the establishment of specialized commercial courts has also been completed, he added.

Regarding institutional development, the Chief Justice highlighted ongoing efforts to open the Supreme Court Research Institute in Cox’s Bazar, with two dedicated committees working continuously to bring the project to fruition.

Describing this as the beginning of a new chapter for Bangladesh’s judiciary, Chief Justice Ahmed mentioned that seminars held across various divisions of the country have yielded valuable insights for the implementation of the judicial roadmap. These inputs will soon be incorporated into the development of a strategic plan aimed at modernizing the entire judicial system.

The seminar, focused on strengthening judicial independence and enhancing service efficiency, was chaired by Justice Mohammad Ali of the High Court Division. UNDP Bangladesh’s Resident Representative, Stefan Liller, delivered a welcome speech, while European Union Ambassador Michael Miller and Swedish Ambassador Nicholas Weeks also addressed the event as special guests.