Swapnosarothi girls meet Chief Justice at Supreme Court

Thirty girls from BRAC's Swapnosarothi initiative visited the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on 21 August 2025, meeting Honourable Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Farah Mahbub.

The main achievement of the visit was that aspiring lawyers and judges gained a rare, firsthand experience of the country's judicial system.

Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed lauded the progress of women in education and professional spheres, noting that women had consistently secured positions in the judiciary through merit, often outperforming their male counterparts. He called for an end to child marriage, terming it "deeply regrettable" that harmful practices persist despite laws and monitoring systems. He further recommended that fundamental rights and constitutional principles be incorporated into school curricula to strengthen awareness of equality.

Justice Farah Mahbub encouraged the girls to pursue their dreams with determination, expressing her vision of a judiciary where women could form half or more of the bench in the future.

Asif Saleh, Executive Director of BRAC, said nearly 1,000 of the 60,000 Swapnosarothi members aspire to become lawyers or judges. "This opportunity to meet the Chief Justice is a milestone that we hope will inspire them to pursue their legal aspirations with even greater conviction," he added.

Representing BRAC, Shashwatee Biplob, Associate Director of SELP and GJD, and A T M Morshed Alam, Lead of Legal Aid and Policy Advocacy, attended the event. The girls gave a scrapbook of letters and artwork to the Chief Justice and Justice Mahbub, who reciprocated by giving them gifts.

Earlier in the day, the girls visited the Sir Fazle Hasan Abed Knowledge Hub at the BRAC Centre. Organisers hope such initiatives will encourage young people to develop a greater interest in legal education and the judiciary.