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Published : 12 Apr 2026, 12:43 AM
Retired district judge Masdar Hossain, the lead petitioner in the landmark case for judicial independence, has lambasted the current state of the legal system, claiming it has become a tool for "torture".
Speaking at a discussion on current judicial situation at the National Press Club on Saturday, Masdar highlighted a staggering backlog of 4.7 million cases currently clogging the country's courts.
“Our judiciary is not discharging justice, it is torturing those seeking it,” he said.
Comparing the situation with neighbouring Nepal, he noted that a case there moves from the magistrate's court to the chief justice in just two years.
“In Bangladesh, murder trials can take 25 to 45 years. The Sagar-Runi case is a prime example -- 14 years have passed with 125 extensions,” he said.
Masdar, whose legal battle led to the 1999 Supreme Court verdict for the separation of the judiciary from the executive, accused successive governments of treating the judiciary with "stepmotherly" neglect for 54 years.
“Why is there so much fear of the judiciary? Why try to turn it into a tool?” he questioned, pointing out the stark contrast between dilapidated courtrooms and grand administrative offices.
He specifically targeted the law minister for recent actions, including the show-causing of judges.
“Under Articles 116 and 109 of the Constitution, the power to control judges lies with the Supreme Court, not the law minister. This is an illegal interference,” he said.
The discussion comes on the heels of the government’s move to repeal the ordinance regarding a separate secretariat for the Supreme Court, a long-standing demand of judicial reformers.
A bill was passed in parliament on Thursday to revoke the ordinance that had briefly established a dedicated secretariat.
Masdar expressed fear that the cancellation of proposed recruitment reforms would lead to the appointment of "unqualified and political followers" as judges, a practice he said has crippled the institution in the past.
