Though hundreds of female judges serve in the lower courts of Bangladesh with competence and integrity, their presence is significantly lower in the Appellate and High Court Divisions of the Supreme Court. According to the Supreme Court Registrar General’s Office, 677 women judges serve in the subordinate judiciary, while only nine women serve in the Supreme Court—one in the Appellate Division and eight in the High Court Division.

Legal experts argue that this disparity reduces the diversity of judicial experience, potentially weakens public confidence in the justice system, and creates a visible glass ceiling for women in the legal profession.

Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal emphasized that while meaningful steps are needed to increase women’s representation, merit and integrity must remain the paramount criteria for any judicial appointment. He noted that the disparity may stem from a smaller pool of senior women lawyers available for consideration and the need for a more supportive professional environment to retain women in the legal field. Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla suggested that the government should consider temporary measures to ensure a specific percentage of women in the judiciary, noting that there is significant scope to increase the intake of competent female judges from the subordinate courts. Advocate Ishrat Hasan pointed out that appointments to the Supreme Court under Article 95 of the Constitution lack transparent and gender-responsive criteria compared to the competitive examinations used for the subordinate judiciary. She advocated for a transparent judicial appointment law and the publication of gender-disaggregated data to ensure substantive equality. Advocate Tasmiah Nuhiya Ahmed added that the issue lies in the pathway to elevation, noting that a more structured appointment process could help ensure that the progress of women in the lower judiciary is reflected at the Supreme Court level.

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