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.’
