Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Zahidul Islam Biswas Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh Adjunct Faculty, Department of Law and Justice, Jahangirnagar University Address: Flat B-6, H: Monalisa, Plot 1, Road 2D, Baridhara J-Block, Dhaka Contact: +88 01795074438; Email: zahid.bangladesh@gmail.com http://works.bepress.com/zahid/ Name: Other Name Nationality: Dr. Zahidul Islam Zahidul Islam Biswas (used in literary writing) Bangladeshi Education: 2012 PhD in Anthropology of Law from Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. Specialisation: Relationship among gender, power and law in judicial governance; Access to Justice problems in family justice system; Judicial accountability and Judicial Governance; 2009 M Phil in Law and Governance from Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India Specialisation: Problems of access to justice in traditional and state-led Rural Justice systems in Bangladesh 2002 LLM (Human Rights Law) from University of Dhaka, Bangladesh 2001 LLB (Honours) from University of Dhaka, Bangladesh Major Academic Work PhD Thesis Gender, Power and Justice: An Ethnographic Study of a Union Parishad-led Arbitration Councils in Rural Bangladesh (2012) M Phil Thesis State-led Rural Justice Systems in Bangladesh: A Case Study in a Union Parishad (2009) Legal study Strengthening Family Courts: a legal analysis of the Family Courts Ordinance 1985 (in 2006), for Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) Anthropological study Women s Access to Justice through the Family Courts: An Ethnographic Study of Two Family Courts in Dhaka (2013-2014), for Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) Work in progress The face of Secularism in Bangladesh: An anthropological study of (July 2015- June 2017) Work in progress (April 2014 March 2016) the constitutional laws and politics in Bangladesh How Legal Culture Matters: A study of customary and informal rules in the Supreme Court Awards: UGC Scholarship for PhD research, Government of India From July 2009 to June 2011 UGC Scholarship for M.Phil. research, Government of India From July 2007 to June 2009 UGC-Dhaka University Scholarship for LLB (Honours) study, from July 1998 June 2002 1
Professional Memberships: Languages: Countries of Experience: Member, Bangladesh Bar Council, Dhaka. Member, Dhaka Bar Association, Dhaka. Member, Supreme Court Bar Association, Dhaka. Member, Bangladesh Law Association, Dhaka. Member, Law & Social Sciences Research Network, New Delhi. Honorary Executive Director, Centre for Law and Society, Dhaka Executive Member, BROTEE Social Welfare Organisation, Dhaka English (Excellent), Bengali (Mother tongue) India & Bangladesh Professional Experience: 2004 (April) Present Advocate, The Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Independent Cultural Anthropologist specialized in the study of culture in the field of law, religion and philosophy. 2016 (July) to Present Adjunct Faculty, Department of Law & Justice, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka 2015 ( June) to date Consultant for PROKAS (Promoting Knowledge for Accountable Systems), a British Council led governance programme funded by UKAid. 2015 (March - July) Strategic Advisor for Research and Advocacy, Community Legal Services Bangladesh, a legal aid project funded by UKAid. 2014 (Nov) - 2015 (Feb) National Consultant, Developing a National Programme and Plan of Action to Eliminate Child Marriage in Bangladesh Project, UNICEF Bangladesh ( to be implemented by Maxwell Stamp Limited, Dhaka office.) 2014 (October- December ) National Consultant, National Integrity Strategy Mission (2 nd Phase), a project of the Cabinet Division of the Government of Bangladesh and JICA. 2012 (March) 2014 Advisor, Research and Advocacy, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services (March) Trust (BLAST), Dhaka 2013 (June- December) National Consultant, National Integrity Strategy Mission (1 st Phase), a project of the Cabinet Division of the Government of Bangladesh and JICA. 2012 (Feb March) Research Consultant, Community Legal Services in Bangladesh (a DFID funded legal aid project being implemented by Maxwell Stamp Limited, London) 2009-2010 Village Court Expert, Research Team for the Baseline Survey on the Village Courts in Bangladesh conducted for the Activating Village Courts project of UNDP Bangladesh 2008-2011 Governance Researcher, Governance Knowledge Centre, New Delhi (Intermittently) 2008 (July) 2009 (June) Teaching Assistant (in the course of sociology of law) Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 2005 2007 Legal Researcher, Public Interest Litigation & Advocacy, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Bangladesh 2005 Legal Researcher, D.Net (Development Research Network), Bangladesh 2004 Legal Researcher, ERGO Legal Counsels (law chamber of Dr Shahdeen Malik and Justice Reza-Ul Haque), Dhaka, Bangladesh 2
2003 2004 Member, Research Team for Legal Affairs, Reforms in Revenue Administration (RIRA), National Board of Revenue and the Ministry of Finance, Government of the People s Republic of Bangladesh 2003 Law Desk in-charge, The Daily Star, Bangladesh Publications Books: 1. Strengthening Family Courts: a legal analysis of the Family Courts Ordinance 1985, Dhaka: Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), 2006. E-Book available at Google Books 2. Elusive Justice: The Story of a Woman Justice Seeker, Dhaka: Centre for Law and Society, 2012, E book available at Google Books 3. Strengthening State-led Rural Justice in Bangladesh: Views from the Bottom, Second edition published by CCB Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 2015; First edition published by Research Initiative Bangladesh (RIB), July 2009. E-Book available at Google Books 4. Gender, Power and Justice in Rural Bangladesh ((forthcoming), to be published by Academic Press and Publishers Library, Dhaka, Bangladesh, by February 2017. Articles: 2016 Two Milestone Judgments on Fatwa by Bangaldesh Supreme Court: An Analysis (co-author: Mahbuba Akhter, Director of Advoacy, BLAST), accepted for publication in the Chittagong University Journal of Law, 2016. 2014 Women s Access to Justice through the Family Courts: An Ethnographic Study of Two Family Courts in Dhaka Counsel Law Journal, Volume 2, Issue 2, September 2014, pp. 25-64. 2013 Law, Culture and Politics of Hartal, Counsel Law Journal, Volume 1, Issue 1, October 2013, pp. 163-178. Law, Culture and Politics of Hartal (shortened version) Monthly Forum (Current Affairs Monthly from The Daily Star), Vol 7: Issue 1 (January 2013), pp. 12-16. 2012 'Do We Have an Independent Judiciary?' Monthly Forum (Current Affairs Monthly from The Daily Star), Vol 6: Issue 9 (September 2012), pp. 12-15. 2012 'Police Accountability and the Rule of Politics', Monthly Forum (Current Affairs Monthly from The Daily Star), Vol 6: Issue 7 (July 2012), pp. 39-41. 2012 Citizen Participation in Rural Judicial Governance: The Bangladesh Experience ; in Good Rural Governance and Citizen Participation (a book containing the papers presented in the International Conference on Good Rural Governance and Citizen Participation, New Delhi, 2011), March, 2012. 2010 Access to State-led Rural Justice in Bangladesh: The Kansat Experience ; Dhaka University Journal of Law, Vol 21, No. 2, December, 2010; at pp. 115-142; Dhaka. 2006 The Confusions and Uncertainties Thwarting Family Courts ; Bangladesh Journal of Law, Vol. 10 Nos.1 & 2, June & December 2006; at pp. 97 118; Dhaka. 2005 Legitimate Expectation: Understanding how a view turned to a principle ; Bangladesh Journal of Law, Vol. 9 Nos.1 & 2 June & December 2005; at pp. 69 84; Dhaka. 3
Research Reports (selected): 2014 Ensuring Right to Freedom from Torture and Arbitrary Police Action: A Study on the Implementation of Safeguards on Arrest, Custodial Violence, and Pre-Trial Detention ; Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2013 Women s Access to Justice through the Family Courts: An Ethnographic Study of Two Family Courts in Dhaka ; Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2010 Baseline Survey Report on the Village Courts in Bangladesh for Activating Village Courts project, UNDP Bangladesh (co-author). 2009 Access to Justice through State-led Rural Justice System in Bangladesh: A Case Study in Kansat Union Parishad ; Research Initiative Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2009 Case Information System in Delhi High Court (a best practice in judicial e-governance in India) ; Governance Knowledge Centre, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Govt. of India. 2008 Evaluation Report on E-Jana Sampark, Chandigarh (a best practice in e-governance in India) ; Governance Knowledge Centre, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Govt. of India. 2007 Report of the Study on the Advocacy Programme on the Use of Sections 54 and 167 of CrPC by the Police Officers ; PIL & Advocacy Cell, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust; Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2006 Looking into the Institutional Response to Monga, PIL & Advocacy Cell, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust; Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2005 Towards Identifying Advocacy Issues Concerning Family Courts and Nari O Shishu Nirjaton Domon Tribunal ; PIL & Advocacy Cell, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust; Dhaka, Bangladesh. Shorter Articles (Selected): 2010 Religious Sentiment Versus the Need of the Hour (Reactions after Indian SC bans Burqa-clad photo in Voter ID) ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 6 February, 2010. 2010 Perimeter of Freedom of Speech ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 16 January, 2010. 2009 India Clears The Conflict On Age Of Juvenile Offenders: What About Bangladesh? ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 23 May, 2009. 2009 Live With Or Marry Anyone (a judgment review); The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 6 June, 2009. 2008 India for DNA Test in Child Maintenance Suits ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 14 June, 2008. 2008 HIV Patients' Right To Marry: Indian-Bangladeshi laws in perspective ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 9 February, 2008. 2008 The Village Court: A Neglected But Potential Rural Justice Forum ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 1 August, 2008. 2008 Judiciary Must Take Bold Steps To Get Rid Of Backlog Of Cases ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 28 June, 2008. 2007 Hartal, Recent SC Judgment and Vulnerable Public Interest ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 15 December 2007. 2007 Whether HIV Should be a Valid Ground for Divorce ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 17 November 2007. 4
2007 Restricting Polygamy in Bangladesh ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 28 April 2007. 2006 Mediation and the Family Courts ; The New Age, Editorial Section, 12 December 2006. 2006 The Plight of The Family Members Of The Outlaws ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 28 January 2006. 2005 Guaranteeing The Rights Of The Slum Dwellers ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 8 October 2005. 2005 Police Torture and Recent Court Directives ; The Daily Star, Section: Law & Our Rights, 20 August 2005. Professional Achievements: 2014 Participated as a Family Court Expert in a Learning Visit to Malaysian Sharia Judiciary at Putrajaya (January 2014). Member in the team included experts and honourable judges of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh 2013 Presented key note paper entitled Challenges to Securing Access to Justice for Women in Family Courts in Bangladesh in National Judicial Dialogue on Addressing Challenges to Securing Justice for Women in Family Courts organized by Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) in Dhaka on 23 November, 2013. 2012 Made the key note address in the International Conference on Securing Women s Economic Rights in Matrimonial Relationships through Law organized by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), at Savar, 14-15 September 2012. 2012 Participated and presented a paper entitled Eliminating corporal punishment of children in Bangladesh: BLAST s initiatives and experiences in the South Asian Consultation on Ending Corporal Punishment of Children, held at National University of Law, New Delhi, 18-21 April, 2012. 2011 Participated and presented a paper entitled Citizen Participation in Rural Judicial Governance: The Bangladesh Experience in the International Conference on Good Rural Governance and Citizen Participation held at Indian Habitat Centre, New Delhi, 21-22 March, 2011. 2010 Participated in the National Conference on Power in Modern India: Discourses and Practices held at Jawaharlal Nehru University, 25-27 March 2010. 2009 Participated in the Learning Visit to Study the Implementation of Right to Information Act in India organized by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi, 4 14 November 2009. 2009 Participated in the Inaugural Conference of LASSnet (Law and Social Science Network), held at Jawaharlal Nehru University, 4-12 January 2009. 2008 Participated in NAPSIPAG (Network of Asia-Pacific Schools and Institutes for Public Administration and Governance) International Conference at New Delhi, 5-7 December 2008. 2005 Participated in the Second International Convention on the Right to Food and Work, held in Kolkata and organised by Right to Food Campaign, India, 18-20 November 2005. (Dr Zahidul Islam Biswas), July, 2016 5