The Supreme Court administration has confirmed that investigations are still ongoing against four High Court judges under the Supreme Judicial Council, following student protests demanding the resignation of judges accused of political bias, corruption and collusion with “fascist” groups.
On Saturday (13 September), the court administration said that of the 12 High Court judges who were initially barred from judicial duties in October 2024, several have since resigned, retired or been removed, but four remain under investigation.
The controversy began after the fall of the Awami League government in August 2014, when then anti-discrimination movement coordinators Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam (now an NCP leader) called on Facebook for students to surround the High Court to demand the resignation of “biased and corrupt” judges. On 16 October that year, students marched into the Supreme Court premises under their leadership, joined by lawyers demanding the same.
During the protests, then-Registrar General of the Supreme Court Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan (now a High Court judge) addressed the demonstrators, explaining that judges are appointed and can only be removed by the President, not by the Chief Justice. He said the Chief Justice had already withheld bench assignments for 12 judges, meaning they could not take part in hearings when the court reopened on 20 October 2024.
After the 16th Amendment verdict restoring the Supreme Judicial Council, a three-member council headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed with Justices Md Ashfaqul Islam and Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury began reviewing allegations against judges. The council can forward recommendations to the President after scrutiny.
