POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Mar 19, 2022 : Former President and Chief Justice Sahabuddin Ahmed has passed away (Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilahi Raziun). He died at Dhaka Combined Military Hospital at 10:25 am on Saturday.
Supreme Court spokesman Muhammad Saifur Rahman confirmed the information. Chief Justice Hasan Fayez Siddiqui has expressed deep grief over his death.
He prayed for the forgiveness of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.
Sahabuddin Ahmed was born on 1 February 1930 in the village of Pemai in Kendua upazila of Netrokona district. His father Talukdar Resat Ahmad Bhuiyan was a famous social worker and philanthropist. Sahabuddin Ahmed joined the Pakistan Civil Service for the first time in his career. He also held the posts of Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Administrator and Additional Deputy Commissioner. He was transferred to the judiciary in June 1980. He served as Additional District and Sessions Judge in Dhaka and Barisal and as District and Sessions Judge in Comilla and Chittagong. In 1986, he was appointed Registrar of the Dhaka High Court. On 20 January 1982, he was promoted to the post of Judge of the Bangladesh High Court.
On February 8, 1980, Sahabuddin Ahmed was appointed a judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. His numerous judgments as a judge are commendable. His judgment on the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Bangladesh is recognized as a unique event in the country’s constitutional development. In this judgment he blames the Third World dictators for their tendency to override their own power in the guise of democracy, establishing group rule, undermining basic human rights, violating human rights, opposing people’s sovereignty, denying independence of judiciary and repealing constitution by issuing orders instead of rule of law. Does. He also lamented the reduction of the traditional powers of the High Court in appointments, promotions, transfers and leave in the judiciary and the control of the lower courts by the state executive.
Justice Sahabuddin Ahmed was the chairman of the commission of inquiry set up to investigate the police firing on protesting students at Dhaka University in mid-February 1983. The then government did not release his investigation report. He was the Chairman of Bangladesh Red Cross Society from August 1986 to April 1972.
On 14 January 1990, he was appointed Chief Justice of Bangladesh. On December 6 of that year, the then Vice President Moudud Ahmed resigned in the face of mass movement against Ershad and Justice Sahabuddin Ahmed was appointed Vice President. On the same day, President Ershad resigned and handed over power to Vice President Sahabuddin Ahmed. As a result, he became acting head of government and formed a caretaker government of neutral apolitical figures, holding a free and fair election in February 1991. As head of government at the time, he was instrumental in restoring the freedom of the press by amending a number of laws, including the Special Powers Act.
The eleventh amendment to the constitution of the country was brought as per the demand of Sahabuddin Ahmed. As a result, despite serving as caretaker President, he returned to the Supreme Court as Chief Justice on October 10, 1991, and retired as Chief Justice on February 1, 1995.
Sahabuddin Ahmed returned to power in 1996. After a long 21 years, the Awami League came to power that year and elected Justice Sahabuddin Ahmed as the President. He was sworn in as President-elect on October 9, 1996, and retired on November 14, 2001.
