Law university is now a call of time: CJ

Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain yesterday said establishing a university dedicated solely to law education for the development of the state's law and justice branch is now a call of time.

He made the observation at a ceremony awarding noted jurist Barrister Rafique-ul Haque with the “Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Gold Medal-2017” in the capital. Charity organisation Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) arranged the ceremony at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) in the capital.

 “I will urge the country's learned and well-off lawyers, including barrister Rafique-ul Haque, to establish at least one full-fledged law university like our neighbouring country which will help enriching the legal education, its qualitative standard and research,” he told the ceremony as the chief guest.

“I believe they will be ever remembered by the future generation of law professionals for such initiative,” he added.

DAM has been awarding individuals with the prestigious medal, named after eminent social reformer Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah, since 1986. Individuals are nominated for the medal for their outstanding contributions to building the society, said the organisers.

Barrister Rafique received the award for his contributions as a lawyer and his social activism beyond professional boundaries, they said.

Saying Barrister Rafique “is an institution and is a class by himself”, the CJ said, “His contributions to protecting the image of the judiciary and establishing rule of law has been immense.”

Speaking of his contributions, National Professor Anisuzzaman said, “I respectfully recall his social contributions beyond his duties as a lawyer, especially those in the fields of education and health.”

Born in 1935 to an elite Muslim family, Rafique-ul Haque took law as profession in 1960 as an advocate at the Kolkata (then Calcutta) High Court in India.

He started practicing at the Dhaka High Court in 1962 and at the Pakistan Supreme Court in 1965.

In 1975, he started his career as a senior advocate of the Appellate Division of Bangladesh Supreme Court. He was appointed as the country's attorney general in 1990.

Alongside his professional duties, barrister Rafique-ul Haque helped establishing numerous social welfare and charity organisations. He is a lifetime member of Bangladesh Diabetes Association since 1976 and is serving as its vice chairman over the last 28 years. He is also the managing committee chairman of Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation for Diabetes (Birdem) and a member of Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital and Research Institute.

Barrister Rafique is also the founder of Farida Haque Memorial Hospital and Bangabandhu School and College in Gazipur. He is a patron and executive committee member of DAM and also the chairman of Ad-din Foundation.