Initiative to resume ‘Bhaban-2020’ project
Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury has assured the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) that steps will be taken to revive the ‘Bhaban-2020’ project to address various problems faced by lawyers, including a severe shortage of seating space for conducting their professional activities.
On Saturday (October 24), a delegation of the SCBA executive committee, led by its Secretary Advocate Mohammad Ali, met the Chief Justice. Attorney General Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kajal said the Chief Justice gave the assurance during the meeting.
Senior Appellate Division Justice Md Rezaul Haque, Attorney General Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kajal, Additional Attorneys General Arshadur Rouf and Barrister Anik R Haque, Supreme Court Registrar General Habibur Rahman Siddiqui, two vice-presidents and two joint secretaries of the SCBA executive committee, along with other members, were present at the meeting.
During the meeting, SCBA Secretary Advocate Mohammad Ali drew the Chief Justice’s attention to the acute shortage of seating facilities for lawyers.
He said a plan to construct a building titled ‘Bhaban-2020’ was undertaken in 2020 to address the problem, and work on the project had also begun.
Attorney General Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal briefed the Chief Justice on the background of the project. He said it had been undertaken with the approval of the then Chief Justice while he was serving as the secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association. However, he noted that the project was not implemented later due to political reasons.
When the delegation urged the Chief Justice to take steps to revive the project, he assured them that the matter would be resolved promptly. He also directed the authorities concerned to provide him with all the designs and necessary documents related to the proposed building.
The SCBA secretary also proposed expanding the Advocates’ Lounge within the court premises, to which the Chief Justice responded positively.
The delegation also highlighted the dilapidated condition of roads, corridors and drains within the Supreme Court Bar Association premises. In response, the Chief Justice directed that the infrastructure be repaired promptly. The shortage of prayer facilities for lawyers was also discussed during the meeting.
In this regard, the Chief Justice observed that implementing the ‘Bhaban-2020’ project could help resolve many of the existing problems, including the shortage of seating space for lawyers.
