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Published : 28 Dec 2025, 11:10 AM
Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury has taken oath as Bangladesh’s 26th Chief Justice, succeeding Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed as the head of the country’s judiciary.
The oath was administered by President Md Shahabuddin at the Bangabhaban at 10:30am on Sunday.Justice Refaat had taken charge as chief justice amid widespread institutional changes following the student-led mass uprising that culminated in the fall of the Awami League regime in August 2024. He retired on Saturday after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 67.
The oath-taking ceremony for the new chief justice was attended by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, as well as the outgoing chief justice.
Earlier this week, the government issued a gazette notification appointing Justice Zubayer, who had recently been serving as acting chief justice, to the country’s top judicial post.
Born on May 18, 1961, Zubayer is the son of the late AFM Abdur Rahman Chowdhury, also a former Supreme Court judge.
After completing his LLB and LLM at Dhaka University, Justice Zubayer pursued a Master’s degree in international law in the United Kingdom.
He enrolled as a lawyer in the Judge’s Court in 1985 and in the High Court Division in 1987. On Aug 27, 2003, he was appointed an additional judge of the High Court, becoming a permanent judge two years later. Despite his qualifications, he was not elevated to the Appellate Division during the Awami League government.
After the fall of the Awami League government last year, the then chief justice Obaidul Hassan resigned on Aug 10, 2024.
Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, the senior-most judge of the High Court Division, was appointed chief justice later that day. Two days later, Justice Zubayer and four other judges were elevated to the Appellate Division, taking their oaths on Aug 13.
Under existing age rules, Justice Zubayer will be able to serve as chief justice until May 18, 2028.
He currently sits on the Appellate Division alongside Justices Md Ashfaqul Islam, Md Rezaul Haque, SM Emdadul Hoque, AKM Asaduzzaman, and Farah Mahbub.
