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The Appellate Division Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim is seeking the joint efforts of the lawyers and Judges for settling the tangled cases so that people could get justice within a short span of time
Jasmine Aktar
The Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Jahangir Hossain Selim has underscored the need for ensuring quick disposal of the cases in a bid to dynamic judiciary and state.
“Actually, the court is the legal authority in a state for the quick disposal of cases, but we are concerned to witness the volume of the tangled cases. If the litigants do not get justice for a long time, then at some point they may lose faith in the court. We are putting our sincere efforts for the quick disposal of the cases”, told the Appellate Division Justice to the Daily Tribunal while sharing his thoughts on the country.
He urged the lawyers and judges to put their utmost effort in ensuring the quick disposal of the cases so that people would be able to get justice within a short span of time.
“We are working with the goal that the people of this country get justice in a short time. I am also keeping an eye on the fact that people do not face any difficulties to get service in the court. Quick trial does not require magic, the hard work of lawyers and judges is enough”, he added.
Many times the justice aspirants have to struggle to get justice, said Jahangir Hossain Selim, adding that many cases from the 80s are still going around in the courtroom.
“It is not only the responsibility of the judge to ensure justice in a short time, but lawyers also have a great role. Lawyers and judges are complementary to each other. The bar cannot move without the support of the bench, and the bench cannot move without the bar”, he also added.
He, however, called upon the lawyers, lawyer’s assistants and judicial candidates to cooperate in court proceedings.
In 2022, the Supreme Court disposed of a maximum of 155 death references, a record in the country’s 50-year history. Similarly, during this period, more than 8 lakh cases have been settled in the courts of the country, he disclosed.
During this time more than seven lakh new cases have been filed, which means that the settlement is more than the cases, he lamented.
“If the judiciary is damaged, a large part of the state will be damaged. Our aim is to create a dynamic judiciary to adapt to the dynamic state”, pointed out the justice.
However, Jahangir Hossain Selim was elevated as the Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court last year. He attained the said position after serving as a judge of the High Court for an era. Hasan Foez Siddique, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court administered the oath to him immediately after his appointment.
Justice Jahangir Hossain Salim was born on December 31, 1959 who is the resident of Kabilpur area under Senbagh Upazila in Noakhali district. His father was the late freedom fighter Abdul Latif and mother was the late Mosammat Masuda Khatun.
Justice Jahangir Hossain successfully passed SSC from Senbagh Pilot High School, Noakhali in 1977 while HSC from Chaumuhani SA College in 1979.
He obtained LLB and M. Com (Management) degrees from Dhaka University. He was enrolled as a lawyer in the Dhaka Judge Court on 31 October 1986 and in the High Court on 31 December 1991.
On April 18, 2010, he was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court Division after gaining extensive experience. After two years, he took oath as a permanent judge on April 12, 2012. He served as a judge of the International Criminal Tribunal (Bangladesh) from 29 August 2012 to 15 September 2015. There, the tribunal consisting of him and other judges gave important verdicts in many cases of crimes against humanity.
Justice Jahangir Hossain gave death reference verdict in many important cases including attempt to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (76 kg bomb planted in Kotalipara), blogger Rajeev murder case, Khulna Rakib and Sylhet Rajan murder case and condemned prisoner Oishi.
As Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee, he took steps to settle many important cases through alternative dispute resolution.
He visited Central Jail in Keraniganj, Dhaka and Juvenile Development Center in Tongi, Konabari Development Center in Gazipur with a view to providing facilities and assistance to convicts in jail.
Justice Jahangir Hossain Salim participated as a delegate of Bangladesh in the “SAARC Law Conference” held in Delhi in 1995.
He was a lawyer for the state in the Bangabandhu assassination case in high courts including judicial courts.
In 2015, he visited the proceedings of various international tribunals, including the ICC (International Criminal Court) based in Argentina and the Netherlands, and participated in conferences.
He performed Hajj in Saudi Arabia in 2014 along with his family. He also traveled to France, Belgium, Australia, United Kingdom, China, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Bhutan, Maldives and Myanmar.