Bangladesh has unilaterally cancelled a scheduled training program for 50 judges and judicial officers that was to take place next month in India. The training was originally planned for February 10 to 20 at the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal and another judicial academy in Madhya Pradesh.
The decision was announced via a circular from the Bangladesh Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on Sunday, citing directives from the country’s Supreme Court as the reason for cancelling the previously approved training. Approval for the program had been granted on December 30, nominating participants across various judicial ranks including:
- Assistant Judges
- Senior Assistant Judges
- Joint District and Sessions Judges
- Additional District and Sessions Judges
- District and Sessions Judges
Financial and Diplomatic Context
The circular clarified that all expenses for the program were to be covered by the Indian government, with no financial contribution required from Bangladesh.
The initiative for judicial training was part of a bilateral agreement reached in April 2017 during then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India. It aimed to strengthen judicial capacity and expertise through training at India’s premier institutions.
This unexpected cancellation marks a potential shift in bilateral judicial cooperation, raising questions about the underlying reasons and future training collaborations between the two neighboring countries. Neither government has publicly provided further details regarding the cause of the cancellation.
