Ex-CJ Khairul Haque secures bail in two more cases, no legal barrier to release

Former Chief Justice (CJ) A B M Khairul Haque has secured bail in two more cases, leaving no immediate legal barrier to his release from prison.

The High Court granted bail to the former chief justice in two cases linked to the July movement, including murder charges filed with Jatrabari and Mirpur police stations in Dhaka.

A High Court bench comprising Justice KM Zahid Sarwar Kajol and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher passed the order on Tuesday (May 12) following a hearing on from both sides.

Earlier, the Appellate Division had upheld the High Court’s bail orders in five other cases against Khairul Haque, including the murder of a Jubo Dal activist, allegations of forgery related to the caretaker government verdict, and a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Khairul Haque was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka on July 24 last year. He was later shown arrested in the murder case of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum Ahad, filed over violence during the July movement in Jatrabari.

Subsequently, several more cases were filed against him. On August 27, Supreme Court lawyer Mujahidul Islam Shahin filed a case with Shahbagh Police Station accusing him of forging the verdict that scrapped the caretaker government system.

On August 25, former Narayanganj District Bar Association president and Fatullah BNP general secretary Abdul Bari Bhuiyan filed another case with Fatullah Police Station over the same allegation. A separate case on identical charges was also lodged the same day with Bandar Police Station by Nurul Islam Molla.

Additionally, the ACC filed a corruption and plot forgery case against him on August 4.

After lower courts rejected his bail petitions in those cases, Khairul Haque moved the High Court. On March 8, a High Court bench granted him bail in four cases, followed by bail in the ACC case on March 11.

The state later sought a stay on those bail orders, but on April 28, an Appellate Division bench led by the Chief Justice rejected the plea, allowing the bail orders to remain in force.

However, in the meantime, Khairul Haque was shown arrested in two additional murder cases filed with Jatrabari and Mirpur police stations, prompting fresh bail petitions before the High Court.

Khairul Haque was appointed the country’s 19th Chief Justice on September 27, 2010, and formally assumed office on September 30 that year. He retired on May 17, 2011, and later served three terms as chairman of the Law Commission.