Dhaka: Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has emphasized the urgent need for a separate judicial secretariat to ensure administrative autonomy and drive structural reforms within the judiciary. Speaking at the National Seminar on Judicial Independence and Efficiency at the InterContinental Hotel here today, the Chief Justice declared that the judiciary is fulfilling its role as a fully-fledged constitutional organ of the state.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, while chairing the seminar, Chief Justice Ahmed stated, “I reiterate with deep urgency that the establishment of a separate secretariat for the judiciary is the need of the hour. This is not only necessary for administrative autonomy, but essential to ensure the structural foundation on which all kinds of reforms depend.” He further elaborated that justice cannot progress relying on borrowed infrastructure or delegated authority, emphasizing the necessity for its own institutional foundation.
Highlighting the progress made, the Chief Justice pointed to the “Judicial Reform Roadmap” he unveiled on September 21 last year. He described the roadmap not as a symbolic gesture, but as “a clear commitment to institutional transformation-focusing on independence, accountability, and public service.”
The roadmap includes proposals for establishing a “Supreme Court Secretariat” to secure administrative and financial independence, depoliticizing judicial transfers and postings, and structurally separating civil and criminal courts to boost transparency and efficiency. Despite persistent challenges, including infrastructural limitations, the Chief Justice shared a positive development, saying that in the last 10 months, case disposal rates in 36 districts exceeded the number of newly filed cases.