Supreme Court Secretariat abolition decision reflects government's authoritarian mindset: DUCSU

DUCSU has stated that the government must refrain from any kind of interference in the independence of the judiciary. At the same time, the control over transfers, promotions, and disciplinary rules of subordinate court judges must be vested with the Supreme Court. In a statement sent to the media today (Wednesday), DUCSU said this. DUCSU General Secretary S M Farhad signed the statement. The statement said that in the post-July revolution period, the interim government established the Supreme Court Secretariat with the aim of ensuring the institutional independence of the judiciary, transfers, promotions, and discipline of lower court judges. However, after the current government came to power, it repealed the relevant ordinance by passing the Supreme Court Secretariat Abolition Bill. Most recently, the secretariat has been dissolved, and officers have been transferred back to the Ministry of Law, which has created fresh concerns over the independence and administrative autonomy of the judiciary. Condemning and protesting this decision of the government, DUCSU said that according to the constitution, ensuring the independence of the judiciary is an important public aspiration of post-July revolution Bangladesh. The statement added, 'Past experience shows that the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina influenced the judiciary for political gain. It suppressed opposition political forces through the threat of transfers and the lure of promotions for subordinate court judges, and used state power as a tool to implement its political agenda. The independence of the judiciary is a fundamental foundation of a democratic state system. An effective democracy cannot be established without the separation of state powers and the administrative independence of the judiciary.' DUCSU's statement further said that the establishment of the Supreme Court Secretariat was an important step in reducing unwarranted executive influence over the judiciary and maintaining constitutional balance. However, the decision to abolish such an arrangement raises the apprehension that the independent functioning of the judiciary will again come under executive control. The current government is disregarding the verdict and aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. The decision to abolish, instead of implementing, public aspirations is a reflection of the government's authoritarian mindset. It is noteworthy that during the former interim government, an initiative was taken to create a separate secretariat for the judiciary. On November 30 last year, that post-July mass uprising government issued the 'Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance, 2025'. According to the ordinance, the Supreme Court Secretariat officially launched on December 11. However, after the BNP came to power through the thirteenth national parliamentary election, it decided to repeal the ordinances related to judicial appointments and the secretariat that were issued during the interim government. On April 9 this year, the 'Supreme Court Secretariat Abolition Bill, 2026' was passed in the national parliament. With this, the matter of a separate secretariat for the Supreme Court lost its legal basis. In continuation of this, yesterday (Tuesday), through a notification from the Ministry of Law, 15 officers and judges of the Judicial Service serving in the dissolved Supreme Court Secretariat were taken back to the ministry.