The government has taken an initiative to promote three High Court judges to the Appellate Division, as the apex court has had a shortage of judges for more than two years.

"A proposal has been sent to the president for appointing three judges to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, and the appointment will be made after getting approval from the president," Law Minister Anisul Huq told The Daily Star today.

The minister however refused to disclose the names of the judges who will be promoted.

A law ministry high official requesting anonymity said that the ministry on February 2 sent a note to Bangabhaban, the official residence of the president, though the prime minister's office, saying that some judges need to be appointed to the Appellate Division, as some posts have remained vacant.

In 2009, the then president had raised the number of judges at the Appellate Division from seven to 11 prior to the disposal of some important cases linked with the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the fifth constitutional amendment, among others, but there are now six judges including the chief justice for this court, he said citing from the note.

The official said President Md Abdul Hamid may appoint the judges from the High Court.

"Certainly, the government has a plan to appoint some judges to the Appellate Division from among the High Court judges. The appointment might be made in a month," Law Minister Anisul Huq told The Daily Star today.

Earlier, he said the president, the prime minister and the chief justice would take the final decision about appointing judges to the apex court and they only know when the judges would be appointed.

The law minister, however, did not say why the vacant posts of Appellate Division judges were not filled.

Five out of 11 judges of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court have retired since 2013 but no new appointments have yet been made.

An SC source said Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha had asked the government to appoint some judges to the Appellate Division through promoting HC judges.

But the government has not apparently taken any initiative in this regard, the source said, adding that the president appoints HC judges and promotes them to the Appellate Division following recommendations of the chief justice.

The chief justice sends the recommendations to the president through the law ministry after the government requests the chief justice for recommendations.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has long been demanding appointment of judges to the vacant posts for quick disposal of pending cases.