Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury assumed office on Sunday as the 26th Chief Justice of Bangladesh after taking oath at Bangabhaban, marking a formal transition at the apex of the judiciary in accordance with constitutional provisions.

President Md Shahabuddin administered the oath at 10:36am with Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and outgoing Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed were present at the ceremony.

The appointment of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury was made through a notification issued by the Ministry of Law on December 23 by order of the President, exercising authority under Article 95 subsection 1 of the Constitution. As per the notification, his appointment took effect from the date of oath. The outgoing Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refat Ahmed retired on Saturday upon completing the constitutionally prescribed age of 67 years.

Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury brings decades of judicial and professional experience to the office of Chief Justice. He was enrolled as an advocate in the District Judge’s Court in 1985 and joined the High Court Division of the Supreme Court as an advocate in 1987. He was appointed an additional judge of the High Court Division on August 27, 2003 and confirmed as a permanent judge two years later. On August 12, 2024, he was elevated to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

In terms of academic credentials, the new Chief Justice obtained his LLB Honours and LLM degrees from the University of Dhaka and later earned a master’s degree in international law from the United Kingdom, strengthening his exposure to comparative and international legal frameworks.

Later in the afternoon, Justice Zubayer paid homage to the nation’s valiant martyrs by placing a wreath at the Shaheed Altar of the National Memorial in Savar at around 3:30 pm. He offered floral tributes along with other judges, observed a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs and signed the visitors’ book of the memorial.