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Monday | November 09, 2026 | Dhaka

‘Intellectual corruption hurts judiciary more’

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:01 AM, 09 November 2026
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Md Asaduzzaman delivers the chief guest speech at a workshop titled 'Judicial Integrity' at a hotel in the capital on Sunday.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman has said intellectual corruption has caused greater damage to the judiciary and the country than financial corruption.

“The Supreme Court verdict on the 13th Amendment case, which scrapped the caretaker government system, is a product of intellectual corruption,” he said while addressing a three-day workshop for judges at Holiday Inn City Centre in Dhaka.

Asaduzzaman said concerns raised by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) over judicial integrity appeared to focus mainly on financial corruption, while intellectual corruption was another major aspect of the problems facing the judiciary.

Regarding allegations of financial misconduct involving judges, he said only a handful might be involved in such practices. However, the government and the chief justice were following a zero-tolerance policy towards those facing specific allegations, he added.

At the same time, the minister said the professional commitment, integrity and efforts of judges who continued to perform their duties despite difficult circumstances deserved recognition.

He also expressed concern over what he described as an intellectual divide in society, saying a section of intellectuals had remained silent over the killings and injuries during the July uprising.

“Although so many people were killed and many others were left disabled in July, a section of intellectuals has had nothing to say about them,” he said.

The minister stressed that discussions on judicial integrity should address intellectual corruption alongside financial misconduct.

Romana Schweiger, senior adviser on Rule of Law, Justice and Human Rights at UNDP Bangladesh, and TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman also spoke at the event titled “Judicial Integrity”.

TIB organised the workshop with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

After the programme, Asaduzzaman told reporters that the government would take all necessary steps to bring ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina back from India under the existing extradition treaty.

He expressed hope that the Indian government would hand her over to Bangladesh.

The minister also said Bangladesh expected justice in the Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is scheduled to deliver its verdict on November 19.