Dhaka, Dec 08 (V7N) – Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed assured on Sunday that the judiciary will uphold the welfare of the people, emphasizing that significant steps have been initiated to implement institutional reforms during this critical time.

“Everyone will find a people-oriented and people-centric judiciary standing beside them in matters of welfare and justice,” he stated while inaugurating the Citizen's Conference 2024 titled ‘People-centric Reform for Good Governance: Aspirations of Disadvantaged Communities’ in the capital.

Reflecting on recent years, the Chief Justice noted a decline in justice and its associated values.

“Dishonesty has replaced integrity, deprivation has overtaken rights, oppression has overshadowed justice, and torture has taken precedence over shelter. This is not the society or state we envisioned,” he remarked.

He underscored the need for a renewed journey for the judiciary to rebuild the values lost amid destruction.

“At this critical juncture, the judiciary too has not been immune to its fractured state. However, I want to assert confidently that a new journey has already begun with decisive steps toward institutional reforms to address this situation,” he added.

The Chief Justice further highlighted the significance of the current moment, describing it as a “golden opportunity to stand by the oppressed.” He urged the judiciary to seize this opportunity with utmost care.

The two-day Citizen's Conference was organized by the Citizen's Platform for SDGs Bangladesh, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The event took place at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

The opening session, chaired by Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convenor of the Citizen's Platform and distinguished fellow at CPD, featured speakers such as Lamiya Morshed, Principal Coordinator for SDG Affairs at the Chief Adviser’s Office, Corinne Henchoz Pignani, Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, and Stefan Liller, Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh.

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