New task force, same old delay
The high-powered task force, led by Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) chief Additional Inspector General Md Mustafa Kamal, has failed to submit any report to the High Court in connection with the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, despite the six-month deadline given by the court expiring over two weeks ago.
19 April 2025, 18:19 PM
Abolish mobile court’s power to impose jail sentence
The Judicial Reform Commission has recommended abolishing the mobile court’s power to impose jail sentences on people for committing offenses, saying that the imposition of imprisonment by such a court is contradictory to the constitution.
18 April 2025, 21:15 PM
Increase lower court judges to 6,000
The Judiciary Reform Commission has suggested increasing the number of lower court judges to at least 6,000 by appointing around 4,000 additional ones in order to bring the backlog of pending cases to a tolerable level.
12 April 2025, 21:41 PM
Ramna Batamul bombing: 24 years on, justice still eludes victims
Twenty-four long years have passed since the bomb blasts at Ramna Batamul during Pahela Baishakh celebrations, yet justice remains out of reach for the victims.
11 April 2025, 20:09 PM
‘Treat political ties of judges as misconduct’
The Judiciary Reform Commission has recommended that any judge showing political allegiance or expressing political views be considered guilty of misconduct and face disciplinary measures under the relevant code of conduct.
3 April 2025, 23:08 PM
Case filings increase, so does backlog
To this day, several high-profile criminal cases, like the BDR mutiny, Narayanganj seven-murder, and the killings of Bishwajit Das and Awami League lawmaker Ahsan Ullah Master, remain pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
29 March 2025, 18:00 PM
Release full text of SC verdicts in 6 months
The Judiciary Reform Commission has proposed new provisions requiring the full text verdict of Supreme Court judgements to be signed and released within six months of the delivery of a verdict.
15 March 2025, 19:57 PM
Commission for fair probe, attorney services
The Judiciary Reform Commission has proposed the formation of a separate Independent Criminal Investigation Service and a permanent Government Attorney Service to ensure proper investigations and prosecution of criminal cases.
21 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Death in Rab custody: 19 months on, no justice for Sultana Jasmine
Sultana Jasmine, a 41-year-old land office employee from Naogaon, was picked up by the members of Rapid Action Battalion on March 22 last year.
29 November 2024, 18:00 PM
Judges’ appointment: SC proposes formation of judicial council
The Supreme Court yesterday formally proposed the formation of a Judicial Appointment Council led by the chief justice through an ordinance to select judges for recruitment to both divisions of the apex court.
28 November 2024, 18:57 PM
Chief justice to propose forming of a council for selecting new HC judges
Disclosing his plan, the chief justice also said specific rules will be formulated for constituting the council under the constitution and he will share all these relevant issues with the HC judges later on
4 November 2024, 15:38 PM
Set up separate secretariat for judiciary
The Supreme Court has proposed establishing a separate secretariat for the judiciary to make it truly independent and effectively separate it from the executive branch.
27 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Separate secretariat for judiciary: SC sends proposal to law ministry
The Supreme Court has proposed establishing a separate secretariat for the judiciary to make it truly independent and effectively separate it from the executive branch
27 October 2024, 16:22 PM
Violence in Ramu: 12 years on, justice remains elusive
Twelve years after the communal attacks on the Buddhist community in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, justice remains elusive as no trial has been completed in any of the 18 cases filed over the incident.
28 September 2024, 21:54 PM
Custodial Torture And Death: Justice still eludes Jonny’s family
Four years have passed after the concerned lower court finished the trial proceedings and delivered its verdict in a case filed for the custodial torture and death of Ishtiaque Hossain Jonny, a garment-waste trader from Mirpur, 10 years ago.
27 September 2024, 18:00 PM
ICT Act amendment: Draft proposes banning political parties up to 10yrs
The government has prepared a draft to amend the International Crimes (Tribunals) 1973, keeping the provision that allows banning of a political party for 10 years for committing crimes against humanity and genocide.
23 September 2024, 21:00 PM
Appoint receiver to manage Beximco’s firms, attach assets
The High Court in the full text of an order has directed the Bangladesh Bank to appoint a receiver to manage the companies of Beximco Group and attach all the properties belonging to the companies for six months.
18 September 2024, 18:30 PM
One judge, 7,250 cases
The High Court Division of the Supreme Court is now facing a shortage of judges after five of its judges have been elevated to the Appellate Division including one as chief justice.
31 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Apple in talks to invest in OpenAI
iPhone juggernaut Apple is in talks to invest in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT and the biggest name in generative artificial intelligence, a news report said Thursday.
31 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Star Interview: ‘Hasina used DGFI to force me to leave the country’
Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, who was allegedly forced to leave the country about seven years ago as a sitting chief justice, has said he is ready to return to Bangladesh and prove that all the cases filed against him are completely false and fabricated if the government ensures his security.
23 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Aug 21 grenade attack: 20yrs on, justice not served yet
Uncertainty looms over quick delivery of a High Court judgement in the August 21, 2004, grenade attack cases as the hearing on appeals and death references has recently been halted.
20 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Protest coordinators: Detention by DB unconstitutional
The Detective Branch’s picking up of key coordinators of the quota reform protest “for the sake of security” is unconstitutional, said two legal experts and an academician.
28 July 2024, 21:30 PM
Quota in Govt Jobs: HC verdict to be inoperative till appeal is filed with SC
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, in the full text of its July 10 order, has said the High Court judgement, which effectively reinstated quotas in government jobs, must remain inoperative until the leave-to-appeal petitions filed with this court are disposed of.
15 July 2024, 18:00 PM
8 years of Holey Artisan Attack: Final justice yet to be delivered
Although eight years have passed since the horrific militant attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s Gulshan, justice is yet to be finalised for the families of the victims.
30 June 2024, 18:00 PM
Aug 21 Grenade Attack: Road to justice still not over
It is still uncertain when the August 21 grenade attack cases will reach the eventuality although the High Court has so far held hearings on death references and appeals for 91 working days since December 5, 2022.
28 June 2024, 18:00 PM
One judge, 6,900 cases
The High Court and Appellate divisions of the Supreme Court have long been facing an acute shortage of judges.
10 May 2024, 18:00 PM
Cops clueless about Bacchu’s whereabouts
Law enforcers have no idea where former BASIC Bank chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu is even though a Dhaka court has so far issued 52 warrants for him in as many cases since February 28.
8 May 2024, 18:00 PM
‘Excesses by executive magistrates worrying’
Legal experts have expressed worries about the growing abuse of power by the executive magistrates.
4 May 2024, 18:00 PM