Obaidul Hassan new chief justice

Justice Obaidul Hassan, a senior judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, has been appointed as the 24th chief justice of the country. The current Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique will retire on September 25.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin made the appointment in line with article 95(1) of the constitution.

The law ministry issued a gazette notification on the appointment of Justice Obaidul yesterday, saying the appointment will come into effect from the day he takes oath of office.

Justice Obaidul was born in Mohanganj of Netrokona on January 11, 1959. His father, Dr Akhlakul Hossain Ahmed, was one of the organisers of the Liberation War. As a member of the Constituent Assembly, Akhlakul took active part in the writing of the Constitution of Bangladesh after independence and signed it after the constitution was written, Supreme Court sources said.

Obaidul Hassan did his MSS degree in Economics from Dhaka University. He obtained his LLB degree from the same university.

He became a lawyer in 1986. In 1988, he was enrolled as a lawyer of the High Court Division and in 2005 as a lawyer of the Appellate Division, according to the SC sources.

Justice Obaidul served as Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General for five years from 1996 to 2001. During this period, he handled many constitutional cases at the High Court and Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court.

Before becoming a justice, he was widely known as an expert lawyer in civil, criminal and constitutional matters. He served as a part-time teacher at Dhanmondi Law College for a long time.

On June 30, 2009, he was appointed as an additional judge of the High Court Division, and as a regular judge of the same division on June 6, 2011.

On March 25, 2012, he joined the International Crimes Tribunal-2 as a member. Later, he served as the chairman of the tribunal from December 2012 to September 2015. He was elevated to the Appellate Division on September 3, 2020.

Justice Obaidul Hassan has written several books including "Bangabandhu, Rabindranath O Osamprodayeek Bangladesh", Bangabandhu Bangladesh: Ekjon Juddhoshishur Golpo O Onyanya," and "Obornoneeyo Nirmomotar Chitro," the SC sources said.

Supreme Court Bar Association Secretary Md Abdun Nur Dulal congratulated Justice Obaidul as the new chief justice.

"Justice Obaidul Hassan is a man of commitment and profound personality. He is an honest man. He made a huge contribution to our legal system when he was a lawyer," he said.

Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique was accorded farewell on August 31 as the last regular judicial functions of the SC took place on that day before the court went on annual vacation.