Shawdesh desk:

In response to growing health concerns due to the ongoing countrywide heatwave, the Chief Justice has temporarily relaxed the mandatory black coat and gown dress code for lawyers and judges across the country.

Effective from April 6 — when courts reopen after the Eid holidays — lawyers in the Supreme Court and judges and lawyers in lower courts will no longer be required to wear heavy black attire in courtrooms until further notice.

The Supreme Court registrar general, Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan, issued the directives on instructions from Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed through separate notifications.

Male lawyers and judges in subordinate courts and tribunals are now allowed to wear white shirts with bands and ties, while female counterparts may wear white saris or salwar-kameez with white bands and black ties.

This decision comes after repeated appeals from bar associations, as courtrooms—especially in lower courts without air conditioning—have become health hazards during extreme heat.

Lawyers and judges have been suffering from heat exhaustion, dehydration, and other heat-related illnesses during summer sessions.

The judiciary first relaxed the dress code in May 2023 due to similar weather conditions and had also revised dress protocols in 2022 during the COVID-19 surge for virtual proceedings.

Many lawyers have long argued that the colonial-era black courtroom attire, inherited from British rule, is unsuited to Bangladesh’s tropical climate and have called for amendments to existing court and bar council rules.