A total of 53 benches have been formed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain Monday for operating judicial activities from Wednesday.
In these benches judicial activities will be done virtually without any physical appearance, said a notification issued by the Supreme Court.
All the activities of the High Court benches will be operated through virtual presence, following the ‘Use of Information Technology by the Courts Act, 2020’ and practice, said the notification.
The decision to open all the benches was taken following the government’s announcement to open all the government, private offices, banks and factories from August 11.
According to an earlier decision made in the full court meeting led by the chief justice on August 5, all judicial activities were being conducted by 12 benches which was supposed to be followed till August 12.
From May 25, 2020, the courts started conducting virtually amid the surge of Covid-19 in Bangladesh.
At first 35/36 benches were conducting which was eventually increased to 52/53 benches.
But as the second wave of Covid hit the country again the number of High Court benches was lowered to four on April 5, this year which eventually increased to 16 later.
After the government imposed a stringent lockdown the number of benches was lowered to three till August 5.
As all the justices and most of the officials of the Supreme Court received Covid jabs and the government also made the restriction, a loose decision of conducting 12 benches was taken in the full court meeting.
Source: United News of Bangladesh