Former Chief Justice Khairul Haque granted bail, no impediment to release

❐ Staff Reporter

The High Court has granted bail to former Chief Justice and freedom fighter ABM Khairul Haque in the ACC case.

The High Court bench headed by Justice Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain issued the order on Wednesday, March 11. As a result, there is no longer any obstacle to his release, said lawyer Monayem Nabi Shaheen.

Earlier, the High Court granted him bail in four cases filed last Sunday on allegations of murder of Jubo Dal activists during the July 2024 militant attacks and forgery of judgments related to the caretaker government.

Senior lawyers Mansorul Haque Chowdhury, Mostafizur Rahman Khan, Motahar Hossain Saju and lawyer Monayem Nabi Shahin appeared in court today in favor of the petition.

On July 24 last year, a mob attack was carried out by BNP, Jamaat-Shibir and NCP terrorists on the residence of freedom fighter ABM Khairul Haque in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. The elderly former Chief Justice was severely insulted. In addition to being severely injured physically, he was also severely harassed by putting a chain of shoes around his neck in the presence of the police.

At one point, instead of taking any action against the mob terrorists, the police arrested the heroic freedom fighter and former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque with a rope tied around his hands.

He was later shown arrested in the murder case of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Qayyum Ahad in Dhaka’s Jatrabari during the July militant attacks.

In addition to this case, three other cases were filed against him on charges of forging judgments related to the caretaker government. Of these, one case was filed at Shahbagh Police Station on August 27 by Supreme Court lawyer Mujahidul Islam Shaheen.

Abdul Bari Bhuiyan, former president of the District Bar Association and general secretary of Fatulla Thana BNP, filed a case with the Fatulla Thana Police Station in Narayanganj on August 25 on the same charge. On the same day, Nurul Islam Molla filed another case with the Bandar Thana Police Station in Narayanganj.

Earlier, on August 4, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a separate case against Khairul Haque on charges of plot fraud.

When the bail application in these cases was rejected by the lower court, he applied for bail in the High Court. Later, the High Court issued a rule on his bail in five cases. Earlier, the hearing in the remaining four cases except the ACC case was completed.

It is worth noting that Khairul Haque was appointed as the 19th Chief Justice of the country on September 27, 2010. He retired on May 17, 2011. After that, he became the Chairman of the Law Commission three times.