Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has said that, alongside the successes of the Supreme Court Secretariat, its failures must also be accepted by everyone.
He said, “After the establishment of the Supreme Court Secretariat, our constitutional powers, conducting judicial work, and managing the judiciary: all of this became concentrated in the hands of the Supreme Court. As much as its successes will be our achievement, we must also accept its failures.”
The chief justice made these remarks while speaking to journalists on the Supreme Court premises on Thursday afternoon after inaugurating the Secretariat at Administrative Building-4.
Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed said, “Today, we stand at a true institutional and historical juncture. This Secretariat has been achieved with the cooperation of the government and other stakeholders. It has been a 26-year journey, but this is not the end. Now we must take the biggest step, which is to maintain the sustainability of this Secretariat’s activities. The coming days will tell how successfully we can maintain it.”
The chief justice called on all stakeholders, including political parties, to ensure that the integrity of the Supreme Court Secretariat, the rule of law, and our democracy remain intact.
Present at that time were the justices of the Appellate Division, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, ambassadors of various countries, the EU ambassador, the UNDP Resident Representative, the attorney general, the vice chairman of the Bar Council, the President and Acting Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, the Senior Secretary of the Supreme Court Secretariat, the Senior Secretary of the Law Ministry, lawyers, and officials of the Supreme Court Secretariat and Supreme Court Registry.
Earlier on 30 November, the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance, 2025, was issued, aiming to ensure the full independence of the judiciary, which necessitated the establishment of a separate secretariat for the Supreme Court. The ordinance was issued by the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs by order of the President.
On 1 December, the chief justice assigned the Registrar General of the Supreme Court, Muhammad Habibur Rahman Siddiqui, additional responsibilities as the secretary of the Supreme Court Secretariat until further orders. On the same day, an 8-member committee was formed with Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam of the Appellate Division as its chairman.
During its first meeting on 7 December, the committee approved 489 new posts for the Supreme Court Secretariat, including officers and auxiliary staff. Subsequently, on 10 December, an 8-member “Development and Planning” Committee was formed under the leadership of Justice Md Rezaul Haque of the Appellate Division.
