Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, political adviser to the prime minister, has stated that the country’s court and judicial systems were destroyed during the tenure of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He emphasised that the judiciary must now be restructured, noting that lawyers have a pivotal role to play in this process.
Speaking as the chief guest at a reception for Mohammad Ali, the newly elected secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, at the association’s auditorium on Wednesday evening, Rizvi called for a total reconstruction of the legal framework.
“The courts and legal processes in Bangladesh were devastated by Sheikh Hasina; they were utterly ruined,” Rizvi said. He urged the legal community to ensure that “the courts do not turn into Hasina’s courts” again.
He further alleged that under the fallen government, judicial independence was compromised to the extent that verdicts were dictated by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and drafted by the Attorney General.
“That situation can no longer continue. The repetition of that legacy must end to ensure justice,” he added.
Rizvi, also the senior joint secretary general of BNP, argued that the concept of justice in Bangladeshi society is rooted in deep historical foundations rather than being a colonial legacy. He asserted that ideas of fairness and equity have existed in regional traditions for 1,500 to 2,000 years.
“The sense of justice is ancient in our history and heritage. Lawyers, especially the youth, bear the responsibility to firmly establish this justice in society,” he said.
The Political Adviser also highlighted signs of the rule of law under the current Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman. He cited the instance of the Prime Minister’s motorcade stopping at a traffic signal as a positive indicator of good governance.
“I see the expression of the rule of law in every action of the Prime Minister. This must be expanded, and lawyers hold the primary responsibility for establishing good governance in society,” he stated.
The Islamic University Law Alumni Association organised the event to honour its president, Mohammad Ali. The ceremony was attended by special guests including AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and former Secretary Badruddoza Badal.
Honoured guests included Professor AKM Matinur Rahman, Vice-Chancellor of Islamic University, and Professor Abu Zafer Khan, Vice-Chancellor of Islamic Arabic University. The event was presided over by Zakaria Haider, Vice-President of the Alumni Association, and moderated by General Secretary Faridul Islam.
