Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury has finally retreated from the decision to conduct virtual court proceedings in both divisions of the Supreme Court.
A notification issued on Sunday, signed by Supreme Court Acting Registrar General Muhammad Nurul Amin Biplob confirmed that virtual court activities have been suspended until further notice. The notice was issued by order of the Chief Justice.
Although the Supreme Court administration originally introduced the virtual system citing the need to save fuel and electricity, the suspension notice did not specify the reason for the reversal.
The decision follows a report published in TIMES of Bangladesh on Sunday, titled “Virtual hearings producing opposite outcome?”
The report highlighted that while the virtual system was implemented to save energy on two working days a week, it actually resulted in higher electricity and fuel consumption compared to physical court proceedings.
The investigation revealed that during physical hearings, judges, bench officers, and relevant lawyers gather in a single courtroom, consolidating the use of electricity to one area. Conversely, during virtual hearings, judges and lawyers occupy multiple separate rooms and locations.
Each of these spaces requires the use of air conditioners, electric lights, and fans, leading to significant waste instead of the intended savings. This pattern of wastage was observed during an on-site inspection of six High Court benches and through discussions with relevant officials on 30 April.
Following the publication of this report, the decision to suspend virtual hearings was first announced for the Appellate Division on Sunday afternoon, and later in the evening for both divisions of the Supreme Court.
The initial decision to operate virtual courts on Wednesdays and Thursdays in both the High Court and Appellate Divisions was announced in a notice on 20 April. Since then, Supreme Court lawyers had been holding several protest meetings demanding the withdrawal of the virtual court system.
