Judicial appointments to be based on merit, not politics
Staff Reporter :
Dr. Asif Nazrul, Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, announced on Tuesday that future judicial appointments in Bangladesh will be made based on merit and political neutrality.
He emphasised that past appointments had been influenced by political considerations but assured that moving forward, merit will be the primary criterion for judicial selections. To formalise this, the Supreme Court Judge Appointment Ordinance 2025 has already been gazetted, marking a significant step in the process.
Dr. Nazrul made the statement during a press briefing at the Law Ministry conference room, where he also addressed other key issues.
The government has issued an ordinance for the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court (SC), establishing an independent council for the process. Additional reforms include the creation of a separate secretariat for the judiciary and the introduction of a permanent attorney service.
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul made the disclosure during a press briefing at the secretariat on Tuesday afternoon.
Dr. Nazrul revealed that more than 2,500 politically motivated or phantom cases, identified in 25 districts, will be withdrawn by February. These cases involve thousands of accused individuals and are believed to have been filed for political harassment.
He outlined that these cases were categorised into four groups:
Cases filed by the police, Charges under the Explosives Act, Arms Act, or attacks on police, Cases involving a large number of unidentified accused individuals, Cases filed before or after major opposition rallies or fraudulent elections, Withdrawal of Cyber Security Act Cases In addition to the removal of politically motivated cases, Dr. Nazrul confirmed that all cases filed under the controversial Cyber Security Act would be withdrawn, with actions to begin in the next seven days. He also noted that reforms to the Cyber Security Act are underway, with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology handling the amendments.
