Justice Shahed Nuruddin resigns amid ongoing supreme judicial council inquiry

Justice Shahed Nuruddin of the High Court has decided to step down while an investigation by the Supreme Judicial Council is still underway. 

The news of his resignation was confirmed by Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, the spokesperson for the Supreme Court, told  that Justice Nuruddin submitted his resignation to the President through the Chief Justice.

Justice Nuruddin‍‍`s career in the judiciary began after his retirement as a District and Sessions Judge. 

He was appointed as an additional judge of the High Court on October 21, 2019, during the previous Awami League government. 

After two years, his position was made permanent.

During his time as the judge of Dhaka‍‍`s First Speedy Trial Tribunal, Justice Nuruddin delivered the verdict in the high-profile August 21 grenade attack case. 

However, after the change in government, the High Court acquitted all the accused in the case.

Justice Nuruddin had also made important rulings in several other major cases, such as the Sonali Bank murder case, the killing of former MP Ahsanullah Master, the murder of terrorist Pichchi Hannan, and the killings of Advocate Habibur Rahman Mondol, Sultana Panni (wife of former Deputy Speaker Humayun Khan Panni), police telecom murder case, and the murder of journalist Gautam in Faridpur, among others.

A graduate in law from Dhaka University, Justice Nuruddin joined the judiciary in 1983 as a Munshif and later became a District Judge in 2000.

His resignation comes after calls for the removal of several judges appointed during the Sheikh Hasina government. 

On October 16 last year, Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed sent 12 judges, including Justice Shahed Nuruddin, on leave, temporarily suspending them from performing judicial duties in the High Court.

Typically, when the Supreme Judicial Council makes recommendations about a judge, the President is responsible for implementing those recommendations. 

However, during that time, the Council had not been functioning.

In response to this, the Supreme Judicial Council was revived in October 2020 by a ruling from the Appellate Division, resolving the complications that had arisen over judicial removals under the previous government.

After conducting investigations into several High Court judges, the Supreme Judicial Council sent a report to the President in December. Less than two months later, Justice Shahed Nuruddin’s resignation was announced.