High Court Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh

High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh
বাংলাদেশ সুপ্রীম কোর্টের হাইকোর্ট বিভাগ
Supreme Court of Bangladesh Logo
Interactive map of High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh
23°43′51″N 90°24′09″E / 23.730777°N 90.402458°E / 23.730777; 90.402458
Location	Ramna, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Coordinates	23°43′51″N 90°24′09″E / 23.730777°N 90.402458°E / 23.730777; 90.402458
Authorised by	Constitution of Bangladesh
Website	www.supremecourt.gov.bd
Chief Justice of Bangladesh
Currently	Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury
Since	28 December 2025

The High Court Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh (Bengali: হাইকোর্ট বিভাগ), popularly known as High Court, is one of the two divisions of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, the other division being the Appellate Division. It consists of the Chief Justice of Bangladesh and other judges of the High Court Division.^[1]

The High Court Division exercises both original and appellate jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters. Its primary jurisdiction, however, is writ jurisdiction, pursuant to which it is empowered under article 102 of the Constitution of Bangladesh to issue writs of certiorari, mandamus, quo warranto, prohibition and habeas corpus.^[1]

History

The High Court of Judicature for East Bengal (1947 - 1955)

Old High Court Building

The High Court of Judicature for East Bengal, commonly known as the Dacca High Court, was established in 1947 under the High Courts (Bengal) Order, 1947 as a separate High Court with all appellate, civil and original jurisdictions. It functioned as a part of the Federal Court of Pakistan.^[2][3]

The High Court of Judicature at Dacca in East Pakistan (1956 - 1971)

With the adoption of the 1956 constitution in Pakistan, the Dacca High Court became the High Court of East Pakistan, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan was established as the apex Court with appellate jurisdiction to hear decisions of the High Courts established in both East and West Pakistan.^[4]

Until 1967, the High Court was held in the building that is now known as the Old High Court Building on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, opposite the curzon hall, Dhaka. With the construction of a larger facility in the 1960s nearby that now houses the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Attorney General's office, the High Court was moved from Old House on 10 July 1967.

Chief Justices (1947 - 1971)

• Justice Abu Saleh Muhammad Akram (1947 - 1950)
• Justice Muhammad Shahabuddin (1950-1953)
• Justice Amiruddin Ahmad (1954-1956)
• Justice Amin Ahmed (1956 - 1959)
• Justice Mirza Ali Ispahani (1959-1962)
• Justice Imam Hossain Choudhury (1962-1964)
• Justice Syed Mahbub Murshed (1964-1967)
• Justice Badruddin Ahmed Siddiky (1967-1971)

Division of the Supreme Court (1971 - present)

In 1971, East Pakistan became the independent Republic of Bangladesh. On 17 January 1972, the High Court of Bangladesh Order, 1972 (the President Order No. 5 of 1972) was promulgated to regularize the judicial system. The Order declared that the High Court of Bangladesh would be a Court of Record and would possess original, appellate, special, revisional and review powers, along with all procedural other powers previously exercisable by the High Court of Judicature at Dacca in East Pakistan under any law in force before March 26, 1971. Subsequently, the High Court of Bangladesh Order, 1972 was amended by the High Court of Bangladesh (Amendment) Order 1972 (the President Order No. 91 of 1972) to establish the Appellate Division conferring upon it all the powers formerly vested in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Following the enactment of the Constitution of Bangladesh, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh was established, comprising two divisions, namely the High Court Division and the Appellate Division.^[1]

Jurisdiction

Original Jurisdiction

The High Court Division can hear a case or suit as Court of first instance. The jurisdiction of the High Court is described in Article 101 of the Constitution of Bangladesh. The High Court Division will deal with original cases, appeals and other judicial functions. Also, under Article 102 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, writ petitions and company and army divisions have original jurisdiction in certain limited cases.^[5]

Appellate Jurisdiction

Any law may confer appellate jurisdiction on the High Court Division on any matter. For example, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Code of Civil Procedure have conferred on the High Court Division appellate jurisdiction.^[1]

Sitting Permanent Judges of the High Court Division

As of January 2026, the list of permanent judges are as follows:

1. Justice Md. Nazrul Islam Talukder
2. Justice M Akram Hossain Chowdhury^[6][7]
3. Justice M Ashraful Kamal
4. Justice K. M. Kamrul Kader^[8][9]
5. Justice Mohammad Mujibur Rahman Miah
6. Justice Mostofa Zaman Islam
7. Justice Mohammad ullah
8. Justice Mohammad Jahangir Hossain
9. Justice Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman
10. Justice Mahmudul Haque
11. Justice Badruzzaman Badol
12. Justice Zafar Ahmed
13. Justice Kazi Md. Ejarul Haque Akondo
14. Justice Khizir Ahmed Choudhury^[10]
15. Justice Razik Al-Jalil
16. Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty
17. Justice Md. Iqbal Kabir
18. Justice Md. Salim
19. Justice Md. Sohrowardi
20. Justice A. S. M. Abdul Mobin
21. Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman
22. Madam Justice Fatema Najib
23. Justice Md. Kamrul Hossain Molla
24. Justice S. M. Kuddus Zaman
25. Justice Md. Atowar Rahman
26. Justice Shashanka Shekhar Sarkar
27. Justice Mohammad Ali
28. Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim
29. Justice Md. Riaz Uddin Khan
30. Justice M Khairul Alam
31. Justice S. M. Moniruzzaman*
32. Justice Ahmed Sohel
33. Justice Sardar Mohammad Rashed Jahangir
34. Justice K. M. Hafizul Alam
35. Justice Muhammad Mahbub-Ul-Islam^[11]
36. Justice Md Zakir Hossain
37. Justice Md Mahmud Hasan Talukder
38. Justice Kazi Ebadoth Hossain
39. Justice K. M. Zahid Sarwar
40. Justice A. K. M. Zahirul Haque
41. Madam Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque
42. Justice Mohammad Showkat Ali Chowdhury
43. Justice Biswajit Debnath
44. Justice Md. Atabullah
45. Justice Md. Ali Reza
46. Justice Md. Bazlur Rahman
47. Justice K. M. Emrul Kayesh
48. Madam Justice Fahmida Quader
49. Justice Md. Bashir Ullah
50. Justice A. K. M. Rabiul Hassan
51. Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mozumder
52. Justice Syed Enayet Hossain
53. Justice Md. Mansur Alam
54. Justice Sayed Jahed Mansur
55. Justice K. M. Rasheduzzaman Raja
56. Justice Md. Jabid Hossain
57. Madam Justice Mubina Asaf
58. Justice Kazi Waliul Islam
59. Madam Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua
60. Justice Md. Abdul Mannan
61. Madam Justice Tamanna Rahman
62. Justice Md. Shofiul Alam Mahmood
63. Justice Md. Hamidur Rahman
64. Madam Justice Nasreen Akter
65. Madam Justice Shathika Hossain
66. Justice Syed Mohammed Tazrul Hossain
67. Justice Md. Toufiq Inam
68. Justice Yousuf Abdullah Suman
69. Justice Sk. Tahsin Ali
70. Justice Foyej Ahmed
71. Justice Md. Sagir Hossain
72. Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi
73. Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury
74. Justice Anwarul Islam (Shahin)
75. Justice Saiful Islam
76. Justice Nurul Islam
77. Justice Sheikh Abu Taher
78. Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan
79. Justice Rajiuddin Ahmed
80. Justice Faisal Hasan Arif
81. Justice SM Saiful Islam
82. Justice Md Ashif Hasan
83. Justice Md Ziaul Haque
84. Justice Dihider Masum Kabir^[12][13]
85. Madam Justice Jasmine Ara Begum
86. Justice Murad-e-Mawla Sohel
87. Justice Md Zakir Hossain
88. Justice Md Rafizul Islam
89. Justice Md Manjur Alam
90. Justice Md Lutfar Rahman
91. Justice Rezaul Karim
92. Madam Justice Fatema Anwar
93. Justice Mahmud Hasan
94. Justice Abdur Rahman
95. Justice Syed Hasan Zubair
96. Justice AFM Saiful Karim
97. Madam Justice Urmi Rahman
98. Justice SM Iftekhar Uddin Mahmud

References

1. "Jurisdiction the Supreme Court". www.supremecourt.gov.bd. Archived from the original on 2024-08-05. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
2. "High Court". Banglapedia. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
3. Government of India Act 1935 as adapted by the Pakistan (Provisional Constitution) Order 1947, S. 219
4. High Court of West Pakistan (Establishment) Order, 1955 (G.G.O. XIX of 1955), Art. 3
5. "The Constitution of Bangladesh". bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd. Archived from the original on 2024-08-05.
6. "Jobs of 4 HC judges regularised". The Daily Star. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
7. "4 new Justices sworn in". banglanews24.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
8. "News in Brief". The Daily Star. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
9. "HC judges sworn in". bdnews24.com. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
10. হাই কোর্টে স্থায়ী হলেন ৮ বিচারক. bdnews24.com (in Bengali). 8 February 2017.
11. "Nine new HC judges appointed". The Daily Star. 21 October 2019.
12. "HC orders protection of eight DU playgrounds". newagebd.net. 12 November 2025.
13. "HC gets 25 new judges". thefinancialexpress.com.bd. 27 August 2025.