Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed addressed the 72nd founding anniversary ceremony of the Department of Law at Rajshahi University. Photo: BSS

RAJSHAHI, Oct 25, 2025 (BSS) - Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed has said 
justice strengthens the state, while the absence of justice can make even the 
strongest nations crumble.
 
Citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he said that global 
awareness of injustice and abuse of power gave rise to a renewed moral 
consciousness that upholds human dignity and freedom.
 
"Law is not only a set of regulations but also a reflection of conscience or 
moral of the nation," he said while addressing a ceremony to mark the 72nd 
founding anniversary of the Department of Law at Rajshahi University (RU) at 
its Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium today as the chief guest.

Appellate Division Justices Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, SM Emdadul Haque, and 
AKM Asaduzzaman, along with High Court judges, faculty members, legal 
scholars, and students joined the programme.

The Chairman of the Department of Law presided over the ceremony.

Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed underscored the need for a roadmap for 
reformation of the judiciary and institutional independence of the judiciary.
 
Emphasising technology-driven justice, Refaat said the judiciary must adapt 
to the age of artificial intelligence and automation through data-based 
management and digital access to justice.

At the centre of the government's Roadmap for Judicial Reform is the plan to 
create a separate Supreme Court Secretariat, envisioned as the administrative 
hub of the judiciary.
 
The proposed secretariat will oversee planning, coordination, and management 
of judicial affairs, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and greater access to 
justice.

The chief justice emphasised the need for collective efforts from the Supreme 
Court administration, Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar Association, judges of 
district courts, and the Bangladesh Judicial Service Association.

"Reciprocity, rationality, and avoidance of one-upmanship should be the three 
guiding principles for ensuring the judiciary's lasting autonomy. Even the 
slightest hint of distrust or unilateral decision-making could endanger the 
very architecture of institutional independence," he added. 

Referring to Bangladesh's own history, he said the Language Movement of 1952 
and the Liberation War of 1971 were not only political struggles but also 
battles for justice, dignity, and self-determination.

The Chief Justice said the decision follows 15 months of strategic 
coordination between the office of the chief justice and the Executive 
branch, aimed at institutionalizing judicial autonomy through structural 
reforms.

He praised Rajshahi University for its significant contributions to 
Bangladesh's legal system and expressed hope that it would continue producing 
jurists who are both intellectually and morally enlightened.