Consensus reached on two issues regarding Chief Justice appointment: Ali Riaz

National Consensus Commission Vice Chairman Professor Ali Riaz has said the political parties participated in today’s discussion has reached consensus on two issues regarding appointment of Chief Justice.

The issues are: amending the current provision under Article 95 of the Constitution and requiring the President to appoint the Chief Justice from among the judges serving in the Appellate Division. 

While briefing reporters at the end of the 11th day of the second phase of dialogue between the National Consensus Commission and political parties at the Foreign Service Academy, he said that under the current Constitution, there is no obligation for the President to follow such a guideline in appointing the Chief Justice.

However, he said that two different views exist regarding whether the most senior judge should be appointed as Chief Justice, or if the appointment should be made from among the two most senior judges. The commission has decided to continue discussions on this matter, he added.

Commission members included Justice Md. Emdadul Haque, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Safar Raj Hossain, and Dr. Md. Ayub Miah, and the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haider were present.

Representatives from 30 political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), Gano Odhikar Parishad, Gonosanghati Andolon, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers Party, and Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party.