Justice SK Sinha takes over as CJ

On the first day of his taking office as the chief justice, Surendra Kumar Sinha, known as SK Sinha, yesterday reconstituted two benches of the Supreme Court's Appellate Division.

President Abdul Hamid administered him the oath of office as the 21st chief justice at the Darbar hall of the Bangabhaban in the morning. Cabinet Secretary M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan conducted the swearing-in.

The chief justice will head the first bench comprising Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique as its members.

Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah will head the second bench with Justice Md Imman Ali and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik as its members.

SC Registrar SM Kuddus Zaman confirmed the reconstitution while talking to The Daily Star.

Justice Wahhab and Justice Shamsuddin were members of the bench which had heard and disposed of all appeals in three war crimes cases.

Earlier, former chief justice Md Muzammel Hossain, who retired from his job on Friday, constituted a bench with Justice Sinha, Justice Wahhab, Justice Hasan and Justice Shamsuddin to hear the appeal of Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, which is now pending with the SC.

Following the reconstitution of the apex court benches, now it will take a couple of days to know whether Justice Wahhab and Justice Shamsuddin will deal with the war crimes cases or not, the SC registrar said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Appellate Division judges, former chief justices, the attorney general and senior lawyers Dr Kamal Hossain, Rafique-Ul Huq and Mainul Hosein, among others, were present at the oath-taking ceremony.