Law Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul on Tuesday said the government is making sincere efforts to meet the people's expectations, mentioning that the core objective of all reform initiatives is to establish good governance and the rule of law in the country.
“The government is working to ensure that future rulers cannot endanger lives through abuse of power….so that people do not become destitute due to legal complexities, that personal freedoms are not compromised in the name of civic benefits, and that citizens can live under a well-defined legal system,” he said while speaking at a views-exchange meeting on the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 held at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka.
Regarding the implementation of reform proposals submitted by various commissions, Asif Nazrul said more than a hundred recommendations have already been identified as ready for immediate implementation, and work has begun to execute them.
He expressed the hope that these reforms would be completed by August this year.
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“The government has already amended several laws, including the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), Cyber Security Act, Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, and the Power of Attorney Act,” he said, adding that amendments to the Judicial Service Recruitment Rules and the National Legal Aid Services Act are also in the pipeline.
“Two separate consultation meetings have been held regarding the enactment of a law to prevent enforced disappearances, and the process is expected to be completed within the next month,” he added.
The adviser also noted that the finance and home ministries have made several legal amendments. “The reform process is already underway."
He, however, pointed out that some major reforms, especially those requiring constitutional amendments, demand political consensus.
“In such cases, we are waiting for the July Charter. Once this charter is formulated in July, it will provide the foundation for undertaking broader reforms,” he explained.
Asif Nazrul acknowledged that the nature and structure of the current government are not entirely conducive to the scale of reforms expected by society, which is why the administration is having to work extra hard to deliver.
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“The government will not attempt to amend the Constitution bypassing all political parties’ consensus,” he assured.
At the meeting, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman, Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Tajul Islam, Professor of Law Department of Dhaka University Mahbubur Rahman, Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Mahbub Uddin Khokon and others expressed their opinions on various sections and sub-sections of the draft ordinance.