# Chief Justice of Bangladesh

The chief justice of Bangladesh (Bengali: বাংলাদেশের প্রধান বিচারপতি – Bānglādēśhēr Prodhān Bichārpoti) is the chief amongst the judges of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and also head of the whole judicial establishments, including subordinate courts. The chief justice is appointed by the president of Bangladesh. The chief justice sits in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court with other judges to hear and decide cases, presides over meetings of the full Supreme Court to transact business relating to administration of the court, and supervises the discipline of the judges and magistrates of the subordinate courts. Most rules for regulating the practice and procedure of both the Appellate and High Court Divisions of the Supreme Court (including subordinate courts) including those specified in certain legislative acts, such as the Companies Act 1994 and the Banking Companies Act 1991, are also duly scrutinized and approved in full court meetings presided over by the chief justice. He also distributes judicial business of the High Court Division by constituting different benches to exercise its original, appellate and revisable jurisdictions.
Administrative control (including the power of creation of post, promotion and grant of leave) and discipline of the judges and magistrates of the subordinate courts is exercised by the president in consultation with the Supreme Court and urgent matters relating to are dispensed with in consultation with the chief justice.

## List of chief justices of Bangladesh

| N | Name | Period of office | Period of office | Appointing president |
| 1 | Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem | 16 December 1972 | 5 November 1975 | Abu Sayeed Chowdhury |
| 2 | Syed A. B. Mahmud Hossain | 18 November 1975 | 31 January 1978 | Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem |
| 3 | Kemaluddin Hossain | 1 February 1978 | 11 April 1982 | Ziaur Rahman |
| 4 | Fazle Kaderi Mohammad Abdul Munim | 12 April 1982 | 30 November 1989 | Ahsanuddin Chowdhury |
| 5 | Badrul Haider Chowdhury | 1 December 1989 | 1 January 1990 | Hussain Muhammad Ershad |
| 6 | Shahabuddin Ahmed | 14 January 1990 | 31 January 1995 | Hussain Muhammad Ershad |
| 7 | M.H. Rahman | 1 February 1995 | 30 April 1995 | Abdur Rahman Biswas |
| 8 | ATM Afzal | 1 May 1995 | 31 May 1999 | Abdur Rahman Biswas |
| 9 | Mustafa Kamal | 1 June 1999 | 31 December 1999 | Shahabuddin Ahmed |
| 10 | Latifur Rahman | 1 January 2000 | 28 February 2001 | Shahabuddin Ahmed |
| 11 | Mahmudul Amin Choudhury | 1 March 2001 | 17 June 2002 | Shahabuddin Ahmed |
| 12 | Mainur Reza Chouwdhury | 18 June 2002 | 22 June 2003 | Badruddoza Chowdhury |
| 13 | Khondokar Mahmud Hasan | 23 June 2003 | 26 January 2004 | Iajuddin Ahmed |
| 14 | Syed Jillur Rahim Mudasser Husain | 27 January 2004 | 28 February 2007 | Iajuddin Ahmed |
| 15 | Md. Ruhul Amin | 1 March 2007 | 31 May 2008 | Iajuddin Ahmed |
| 16 | M M Ruhul Amin | 1 June 2008 | 22 December 2009 | Iajuddin Ahmed |
| 17 | Md. Tafazzul Islam | 23 December 2009 | 7 February 2010 | Zillur Rahman |
| 18 | Mohammad Fazlul Karim | 8 February 2010 | 30 September 2010 | Zillur Rahman |
| 19 | A.B.M. Khairul Haque | 1 October 2010 | 17 May 2011 | Zillur Rahman |
| 20 | Md. Muzammel Hossain | 18 May 2011 | 16 January 2015 | Zillur Rahman |
| 21 | Surendra Kumar Sinha | 17 January 2015 | 11 November 2017 | Abdul Hamid |
| | Md. Abdul Wahhab Miah (Acting) | 11 November 2017 | 2 February 2018 | Abdul Hamid |
| 22 | Syed Mahmud Hossain | 2 February 2018 | 30 December 2021 | Abdul Hamid |
| 23 | Hasan Foez Siddique | 30 December 2021 | 25 September 2023 | Abdul Hamid |
| 24 | Obaidul Hassan | 26 September 2023 | 10 August 2024 | Mohammed Shahabuddin |
| 25 | Syed Refaat Ahmed | 10 August 2024 | Incumbent | Mohammed Shahabuddin |