The Dhaka University Annual Law Lecture 2026 was held on Tuesday (15 September), with speakers stressing the need to ensure institutional autonomy alongside judicial independence to strengthen constitutional governance in Bangladesh.
Former Chief Justice of Bangladesh and Oxford University Wolfson College Honorary and Visiting Fellow Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed delivered the keynote lecture titled “Beyond Judicial Independence: Constitutional Identity and the Quest for Institutional Autonomy in Bangladesh” at the university’s Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building Auditorium.
Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Prof Dr Abdus Salam attended the event as chief guest. Law Department Chairman Prof Dr Mohammad Towhidul Islam delivered the welcome address, while Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law Prof Dr Mohammad Ikramul Haque chaired the programme.
In his keynote, Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed said judicial independence is essential to constitutional governance, but freedom from external interference in judicial decisions alone cannot ensure full independence.
