Dhaka: The country’s 25th Chief Justice, Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, will retire today upon reaching the age of 67, in accordance with constitutional requirements. Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division has been appointed as the 26th Chief Justice.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed took his oath as Chief Justice on August 11, 2024, following the July Mass Uprising. A distinguished alumnus of Dhaka University, Dr Ahmed earned his law degree with first-class honours from Wadham College, University of Oxford. He further pursued a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) and a PhD from the Fletcher School at Tufts University in the United States.
Dr Ahmed’s career includes significant international experience, having served as an immigration law expert with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). His legal career began in 1984 as a lawyer in the Dhaka District Court, followed by his work in the High Court Division in 1986. On April 27, 2003, he was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court and became a permanent judge two years later.
Dr Ahmed’s family background is notable; he is the son of Barrister Ishtiaq Ahmed, a former Attorney General and adviser to the Caretaker Government on two occasions, and Dr Sufia Ahmed, the first female National Professor of Bangladesh and a language movement veteran who received the Ekushey Padak.
Shortly after assuming the role of Chief Justice, Dr Ahmed announced a comprehensive roadmap for the nation’s judiciary. His tenure was marked by significant initiatives, including the establishment of a separate secretariat for the judiciary and the formulation of specific laws governing judicial appointments.