High Court (HC) Judge Syed Refaat Ahmed was sworn in as the 25th Chief Justice (CJ) of Bangladesh as President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office during a ceremony at Durbar Hall of the Bangabhaban at 12:48 pm here.
Chief Adviser to the Interim Government Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus witnessed the ceremony.
Advisers to the interim government, judges, chiefs of the three services, attorney general, and Supreme Court (SC) lawyers, including SC Bar Association leaders, among others, were present at the oath-taking ceremony.
Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain conducted the function.
Earlier, President Shahabuddin appointed HC Judge Syed Refaat Ahmed as new CJ last evening as Obaidul Hassan stepped down from the post of chief justice at 2:30 pm yesterday.
“Under the authority vested upon him under Article 95 (1) of the Constitution, the president has appointed High Court’s judge Syed Refaat Ahmed as the Chief Justice this evening,” President Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin told BSS yesterday.
The appointment would come into effect from the day of his oath of office to be administered by the President, he said.