Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed has retired.

Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed has officially retired from the highest judicial office in Bangladesh on Saturday, 27 December 2025, upon reaching the constitutional retirement age of 67.

Syed Refat Ahmed assumed office as the 25th Chief Justice of Bangladesh on 10 August 2024, following the resignation of his predecessor, Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan. His appointment came in the aftermath of the political upheaval on 5 August 2024, when the ruling Awami League government was ousted during a nationwide popular movement. During his tenure, which lasted one year and four and a half months, Chief Justice Ahmed presided over numerous significant cases, maintaining judicial independence amid a period of national transition.

In a move to ensure continuity in the Supreme Court, Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury is set to take the oath as the 26th Chief Justice on Sunday, 28 December 2025. The Ministry of Law had officially announced his appointment on Tuesday, 23 December 2025, through a presidential notification. According to the notification, under the powers granted by Article 95(1) of the Constitution, the President of Bangladesh appointed Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury of the Appellate Division as the new Chief Justice of the country.

Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury brings with him a wealth of experience spanning over four decades. He earned his LLB and LLM degrees from the University of Dhaka and later pursued an LLM in International Law in the United Kingdom. He was enrolled as a lawyer in the District Courts in 1985 and in the Supreme Court’s High Court Division in 1987. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court Division on 27 August 2003 and confirmed as a permanent judge two years later. On 12 August 2024, President Mohammad Shahabuddin elevated him to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

Key Judicial Appointments (Recent Years):

Chief Justice Ahmed’s retirement marks the end of a brief but impactful tenure, while Justice Chowdhury’s appointment promises continuity and stability in the judiciary at a critical time for the country.