Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed has left the country for Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to join two separate programmes as an invited guest.

He departed from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 6:40am on Thursday to join his first programme in Turkey, read a press release signed by Md Shafiqul Islam, public relations officer of the Appellate Division.

Meanwhile, Judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam has been appointed as the acting chief justice.

According to the press release, Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed will join the 63rd founding anniversary functions of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Turkey at the invitation of President of the Constitutional Court of Turkey Justice Kadir OZKAYA. He will also join an international symposium at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul on Friday.

The chief justice is scheduled to attend an international conference as a panel speaker on “Climate Justice and the Constitution: Reflection from the Global South” organised by the New York University-Abu Dhabi on 28 April in Abu Dhabi of the UAE.

He will also deliver his speech at a workshop of the students and teachers of that university in the morning on the day as well.