HC orders no arrest, harassment of ex-CJ Khairul without specific charges

The High Court has directed authorities not to show former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque arrested in any case without specific charges and not to harass him.

The bench of Justice Rajik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury passed the order, along with a rule, today (17 May).

Lawyers Kamrul Haque Siddiqui, Sayeed Ahmed Raja, Mustafizur Rahman and Monayem Nabi Shaheen appeared for the petitioner in court. 

On 12 May, Khairul Haque secured bail from the High Court in two murder cases filed over killings during the July Uprising. 

Following the order, his lawyers said there was no legal bar to his release from jail as he had obtained bail in all cases against him for the time being.

However, the state later moved the Appellate Division on 13 May seeking a stay on that bail order.

Earlier, on 28 April, the Appellate Division upheld Khairul Haque’s bail in five cases, including those filed over the killing of a Jubo Dal activist during the July Uprising, allegations of forgery related to the caretaker government verdict and corruption cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Before that, on 8 March, the High Court granted him bail in four cases after issuing a rule. 

He later secured bail in an ACC case on 11 March. The state sought a stay on that bail order as well, but the Appellate Division dismissed the plea.

Khairul Haque was later shown arrested in the Arif murder case filed at Jatrabari Police Station and the Rubel murder case filed with Adabor police. 

After failing to secure bail from lower courts in those cases, he moved the High Court, which granted him bail on 12 May.

A total of seven cases have been filed against him.

Khairul Haque was arrested at his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka on 24 July last year. 

He was shown arrested in the case filed over the killing of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum Ahad in Jatrabari during the July Uprising.