SC gets 1st woman judge, Three others too appointed, few HC judges to go on 'protest' leave

Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana

For the first time in the history of country's judiciary, a woman judge has been appointed to the Supreme Court (SC), along with three new judges.

The president elevated four senior High Court judges--Justice MA Wahhab Miah, Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice M Imman Ali--to the Appellate Division.


Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, also the first female judge in the HC, was promoted to additional judge of the HC on May 28, 2000.
President Zillur Rahman made the appointments as per Article 95(1) of the Constitution upon recommendations of the chief justice, sources said.
Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque will administer the oath at the judges' lounge of the SC today, increasing the number of Appellate Division judges to 12.
Sources said the CJ recommended the president to appoint the four senior HC judges to the Appellate Division a month ago.
Meanwhile, seven out of the nine protesting judges may go on leave from today as their demand of appointing the two judges who were dropped during the regime of BNP-Jamaat alliance government was not met, sources said.
They informed the CJ of their decision yesterday and said they would go on leave for an indefinite period or even step down if the two judges--Justice Md Momtazuddin Ahmed and Justice Md Shamsul Huda--are not appointed to the apex court, sources said.
The seven judges are: Justice Md Momtazuddin Ahmed, Justice Md Shamsul Huda, Justice Faruque Ahmed, Justice Md Abdul Hye, Justice Marzi-ul Huq, Justice Md Nizamul Huq and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik.
They feel their seniority has been cold-shouldered due to an illegal decision of the BNP-Jamaat-led government that had been cancelled by the SC later.