Dhaka – Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Bangladesh on Sunday.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office at a ceremony in the Durbar Hall of the presidential palace, Bangabhaban.
Justice Chowdhury, a judge of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, succeeds Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, whose tenure ended on Saturday, December 27, 2025, upon his retirement.
This appointment makes Chowdhury the country’s 26th Chief Justice.
The oath-taking ceremony was conducted by Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid.
Attendees included Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, other advisers to the interim administration, judges, chiefs of the three military services, and Supreme Court lawyers.
The President appointed Justice Chowdhury to the role under the authority of Article 95 (1) of the Constitution. A gazette notification from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, issued on December 23, confirmed the appointment, noting it would take effect from the day he assumed office.
Background and Career:
A lawyer by background, Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury was enrolled at the District Judges’ Court in 1985 and as an advocate of the High Court Division in 1987.
He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court Division on August 27, 2003, becoming a permanent judge two years later. On August 13, 2024, he was elevated to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
After completing his LLB (Hons) and LLM degrees at the University of Dhaka, he obtained a second Master’s degree in international law from the United Kingdom.
According to a biography provided by the Ministry of Law, Justice Chowdhury has participated in numerous international conferences, seminars, and training programs worldwide, including in Belgium, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, and Nepal throughout his career.
