National
Justice Obaidul Hassan Sworn In as 24th Chief Justice of Bangladesh
Justice Obaidul Hasan has been sworn in today as the 24th Chief Justice of Bangladesh, with the president administering the oath at 11 am in the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban. The ceremony was attended by prominent figures including the president’s wife, Cabinet members, former chief justices, judges from both the Appellate and High Court divisions, heads of the armed services, the principal secretary to the prime minister, the attorney general, and Supreme Court lawyers, including leaders from the SC Bar Association. Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain presided over the proceedings.
The appointment was made in accordance with Article 95 (1) of the Constitution, following the retirement of the outgoing chief justice on the same day. Justice Obaidul Hassan, a distinguished senior judge of the Appellate Division, was officially appointed as the chief justice on September 12.
Justice Hassan’s journey in the legal realm began in 2009 when he was appointed as an additional judge in the Supreme Court’s High Court Division. His dedication and competence earned him the confirmation as a permanent judge in 2011. His ascent continued as he was elevated to the position of judge in the Appellate Division on September 3, 2020.
Born on January 1, 1959, in Chayashi village under Mohanganj upazila in Netrokona district, Justice Obaidul Hassan is the son of Dr. Akhlaqul Hossain Ahmed and Begum Hosne Ara Hossain.
Notably, Justice Hassan also served as the chairman of International Crimes Tribunal-2 from March 25, 2012, until September 15, 2015. During his tenure, he pronounced 11 verdicts.
Justice Obaidul Hassan is married to Nafisa Banu, who currently holds the position of Member (Finance) on the Board of Directors of Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority. The couple has a son named Barrister Ahmed Shafquat Hassan.
His younger brother, Sajjadul Hassan, serves as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Netrokona-4 constituency and has previously held the position of senior secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Before embarking on his legal career, Justice Obaidul Hassan obtained graduate and postgraduate degrees in economics from Dhaka University. He later transitioned to the field of law and initiated his practice in the Dhaka District Court in 1986, subsequently gaining enrollment in the High Court in 1988. He became an Appellate Division lawyer in 2005 and also served as an assistant attorney general and deputy attorney general for a cumulative period of 5 years from 1996 to 2001.
Throughout his illustrious career, Justice Obaidul Hassan actively participated in various international legal conferences in countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Netherlands, and Argentina. He represented Bangladesh at an international crimes conference in Buenos Aires in 2015 and engaged in dialogues with judges from the International Crimes Court and the International Crimes Tribunal in The Hague during the same year.
Justice Obaidul Hassan is not only a jurist but also an author, having penned several books, including titles such as ‘Obornonio Nirmomotar Chittro Ekatturer Buddhijibi Hotyakando O Onnanya,’ ‘Bangabandhu Bangladesh Ekjon Juddho Shishur Golpo O Onnanya,’ and ‘Bangabandhu, Rabindranath O Oshamprodayeek Bangladesh.’
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
