Zero tolerance for corruption in the judiciary: CJ Obaidul Hasan

The newly appointed country’s 24th Chief Justice (CJ) Obaidul Hasan has said, "Eliminating corruption in the judiciary is not a hard task. If all judges from both divisions of the Supreme Court (High Court and Appellate Division), along with the Supreme Court Bar and all legal professionals, work together, corruption will undoubtedly decrease. From my side, there will be zero tolerance against corruption."

The chief justice made the statement in an exclusive interview with Views Bangladesh on Wednesday, a day after his appointment as the 24th CJ of the country.

He stated, "Corruption is not limited to just the judiciary; it exists in almost every sector. It has spread throughout the country like cancer. I will continue to fight against it for as long as I am chief justice. To achieve this, judges from the Supreme Court, judges from lower courts, and lawyers will work together. We will also involve journalists when necessary. I believe that if we can do this, corruption will significantly decrease. Furthermore, if strict measures are taken against corrupt individuals, everyone will become more cautious."

Referring to the significant public interest in the judiciary division in Bangladesh, the newly appointed chief justice said, "Here, we must prioritize justice and expedite the legal process. I will give top priority to this task. There is a substantial backlog of cases in the Supreme Court. I have plans to work on reducing this backlog and expediting case disposal. During my tenure in the judiciary division, I will focus on preventing corruption, reducing corruption, and expediting case resolution. In matters of justice, I am committed to ensuring that every individual has access to justice. This is my constitutional duty. During my tenure, I will be vigilant to ensure that no one is deprived of their right to justice."

Regarding the recent tension between  pro-Awami League and BNP lawyers and chaos in the Supreme Court bar, Justice Obaidul Hasan said, "This is a very unfortunate incident. We need tolerance among everyone. Without tolerance, the country suffers greatly. It is essential for people to speak their minds. In such cases, tolerance is necessary. I hope for tolerance among all the people in the country. Lawyers should show proper respect for the court and work towards advancing the court's proceedings. I believe that everyone should express their thoughts, and in such cases, tolerance is needed. I hope for tolerance among all the people in the country. Lawyers should respect the court and fulfill their responsibilities as officers of the court. As I was also a lawyer, I know there are many good lawyers who think about the judiciary. I will also talk to them, if necessary, to work towards discipline in the judiciary division."

The President appointed Obaidul Hasan, the senior judge of the Appellate Division, as the 24th Chief Justice of the country.

According to an order issued by the Ministry of Law on Tuesday, the President of Bangladesh has appointed Justice Obaidul Hasan as the Chief Justice of Bangladesh in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, in accordance with Article 95(1) of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. This appointment will take effect from the date of taking the oath of office.

Justice Obaidul Hasan was born on January 11, 1959, in Mohanganj, Netrokona in Bangladesh, into a devout Muslim family. His father, the late Dr. Akhlakun Hussain Ahmed, was one of the key organizers of the Liberation War. His mother's name was the late Nurjahan Begum. Obaidul Hasan obtained his BSS, MSS and LLB degrees from Dhaka University and was certified as a lawyer by the district bar in 1986.

In 1988, he was enrolled as a lawyer in the High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court and in 2005 as a lawyer in the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court. Justice Obaidul Hasan served as the Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General from 1996 to 2001, fulfilling this role for a five-year term. He joined the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh as an Additional Judge on June 30, 2009. On June 6, 2011, he was appointed as a permanent judge in the same division.

He joined the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) as a member in the prosecution of crimes against humanity in 2012. In the same year, on December 13, he was appointed as the Chairman of this tribunal, and he held this position until September 15, 2015, overseeing its responsibilities.

He was appointed as a judge in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on September 3, 2020.

The newly appointed Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan has authored two remarkable books, "Obornonio Nirmomoter Chitra: Ekattorer Buddhijibi Hottaykando o Onnono (Unspeakable Brutality: The intellectual massacre of '71 and others)" and "Bangabandhu Bangladesh: The story of a warrior and others."