Commercial Court system to exclusively try biz cases: CJ

A separate commercial court system aligning with Bangladesh's economic realities and the evolving needs of the judiciary will be established to exclusively settle business disputes and loan-recovery cases.

Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed made the announcement Sunday at the plenary session of a UNDP-sponsored seminar on 'Establishing Commercial Courts: Shaping the Draft Commercial Court Ordinance' held at a hotel in Sylhet.

Bangladesh Supreme Court and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly organised the meet. The Chief Justice attended as chief guest the plenary session, said a press release issued by Supreme Court Public Relations Officer Md Shafiqul Islam.

The Chief Justice said, "At present, Bangladesh has no separate judicial forum to deal exclusively with commercial disputes. Matters involving millions, or even billions, of taka in corporate and trade disputes must push for hearing alongside small civil suits and routine property litigation

…It is a structural misalignment that undercuts the efficiency, expertise, and predictability required for high-value, complex commercial adjudication."

He further noted that the backlog of cases "speaks for itself". As of March 2025, he mentioned, more than 25,000 loan-recovery cases under the Artha Rin Adalat Ain remained pending, "representing capital immobilised and business relationships soured".

Highlighting the need for reforms to establish separate commercial courts, he stated, "This is not a demand from any single group. From large-scale investors to small entrepreneurs, both domestic and foreign stakeholders have long been calling, through various meetings and seminars, for commercial disputes to be resolved in specialized courts with predictable timelines and enforceable judgments."

Justice Ahmed told the meet that the Supreme Court, in partnership with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and the UNDP, in July this year convened a technical consultation that brought judiciary, executive, business leaders, and development partners into one room, and one voice for change.

During the announcement, the Chief Justice outlined seven key pillars of the proposed commercial court system: (1) clear and harmonised jurisdictional definitions (II) appropriate financial thresholds (III) mandatory case management with strict timelines (IV) integrated mediation mechanisms (V) technological integration (VI) equitable access for all business actors (VII) robust accountability and performance monitoring.

Justice Zafor Ahmed, a judge of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, presided over the plenary session, while Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman, Senior District and Sessions Judge in Sylhet, gave opening statement.

Also, Michael Miller, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union in Bangladesh, and Stefan Liller, Resident Representative of the UNDP Bangladesh, also delivered their speeches at the session.

Representatives from the US Embassy in Dhaka, BIDA and BIAC, officials of the Supreme Court administration, lawyers and judicial officers of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar and Habiganj also attended the programme.

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