The interim government on Thursday cleared the draft of Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance 2025 to set up a separate secretariat of the higher court, aiming to ensure the full independence of the judiciary.

The approval came from a meeting of the Council of Advisers held with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in the chair at the Chief Adviser’s Office.

Briefing reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said this ordinance was given the final approval in the meeting of the Council of Advisers.

“You can say that today we have completed the full implementation of the verdict in the Masdar Hossain case and the final step for establishing the full independence of the judiciary,” he said.

Asif Nazrul said the civil society has been harbouring a desire for establishment of a separate secretariat for the Supreme Court for the last 20-30 years in a bid to ensure the complete independence of the judiciary.

“Today is a historic day for us. Many political parties have given many assurances, many words. Ultimately, we have now come to a good place,” he said, adding that the Council of Advisers earlier approved this proposed law in principle.

Establishing a separate secretariat for the Supreme Court was among the recommendations of the Judiciary Reform Commission, and also among the recommendations of the National Consensus Commission, he said.

“All the parties agreed (during the discussions of the National Consensus Commission) that there should be a separate secretariat for the Supreme Court to establish the full independence of the judiciary,” said the law adviser.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said there were eight agenda for the meeting of the Council of Advisers and the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance 2025 was the most important among the agenda.