Key Takeaways
- Obaidul Hassan was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Bangladesh, becoming the 24th holder of the position.
- He previously served as a judge in the Appellate Division and chaired the International Crimes Tribunal‑2.
- Born on January 1, 1959, in Chayashi village, Netrokona district, his family has historic ties to the 1971 Liberation War.
- His sister‑in‑law, Nafisa Banu, sits on the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority Board, highlighting his family’s continued public service.
Dhaka: Obaidul Hassan, a senior judge of the Appellate Division, was sworn in as the 24th Chief Justice of Bangladesh on Tuesday.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office at the Durbar Hall in Bangabhaban at 11am.
Earlier on September 12, Hassan was appointed as the Chief Justice.
He was appointed as an additional judge of the Supreme Court’s High Court Division in 2009 while his appointment was confirmed as a permanent judge in 2011.
He was elevated as a judge in the apex Appellate Division on September 3, 2020.
On January 1, 1959, Hassan was born at Chayashi village under Mohanganj upazila in Netrokona district.
His father Dr Akhlaqul Hossain Ahmed was one of 1971 Liberation War organisers, who took part as well in formulating independent Bangladesh’s first constitution being a member of the erstwhile Pakistan’s central Constituent Assembly.
Hassan was appointed as the chairman of International Crimes Tribunal-2 on March 25, 2012 and in his capacity as the head of that court, popularly known as war crimes tribunal, until September 15, 2015, he pronounced 11 verdicts.
Obaidul Hassan is married to Nafisa Banu, who currently serves as Member (Finance) of Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority Board of Directors.
Obaidul Hassan’s younger brother Sajjadul Hassan is a parliament member (MP) from Netrokona-4 constituency while he previously served as a senior secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Obaidul Hassan initially obtained his graduation and post‑graduation degree in Economics from Dhaka University. He then studied law, debuted as a practitioner in the Dhaka District Court in 1986, and received his High Court enrollment in 1988.
