In A Historical Move Bangladesh Appoints 5 Female Lawyers As HC Justices

In a groundbreaking development for Bangladesh's judiciary, five female lawyers have been appointed as justices in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court is for the first time in the history of the judiciary system. This important decision was made on October 8, at the same time with the promotion of 23 individuals to the High Court Division, out of which five of them are female judges; the five women were sworn in the next day by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed.

The newly inducted justices Mubina Asaf, Nasreen Akhtar, Ainunnahar Siddika, Tamanna Rahman, and Sathika Hossain, make asignificant step toward gender balance in the judicial body of Bangladesh and do illustrate the gradually raised the contributions of women to the judiciary. Legal experts and prominent figures within the profession have hailed the move as a pivotal moment for women’s empowerment and a testament to the increasing prominence of women in law.

Nazmun Ara Sultana, Bangladesh's first woman justice to serve in both the High Court and Appellate Divisions, said she welcomes the appointments but added more needs to be achieved. "Five out of 23 judges being women is certainly great news. It's a hopeful sign, but we must continue to increase the number of women in the judiciary.". She would have been happier if it was more than 10, she said, noting the impressive performance of the women in the legal field.

Similar views shared chief lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua as well, who said, "The appointments are a welcome shift from the previous kind of tokenistic recognition of women in the legal profession to merit-based acceptance." He further added that against the opinion raised by many, the presence of women in law is increasing, and female students are doing exceedingly well in the law schools. "Now the women are able to overcome difficulties and make themselves capable for good performance in the profession," he added. He is optimistic about the future because quality legal professionals lead to stronger judiciary institutions.

The five women justices are likely to motivate female generations to pursue legal careers and marks a milestone in Bangladesh’s journey toward gender equality in the judiciary.