Justice Akhtaruzzaman resigns amid allegations of irregularities

Justice Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman of the High Court Division, who previously sentenced former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a high-profile corruption case, has tendered his resignation.

On Sunday, he submitted his resignation letter to Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed. The development follows an ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct involving multiple judges.

Earlier, the Supreme Judicial Council had summoned Justice Akhtaruzzaman to explain allegations of irregularities. He was instructed to appear in person on July 1 to provide a formal explanation. Following that appearance, he submitted his resignation, which has since been forwarded by the Chief Justice to the President for formal acceptance.

Justice Akhtaruzzaman came into the national spotlight on February 8, 2018, when, as judge of Dhaka's Special Judge Court-5—temporarily set up at the Bakshibazar parade ground—he sentenced former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust case. Her son and acting BNP chairman, Tarique Rahman, received a ten-year sentence in the same case.

The controversy deepened on March 23, when the President ordered a full investigation into Justice Akhtaruzzaman’s conduct. On October 16, 2024, Chief Justice Refaat Ahmed placed 12 High Court judges, including Justice Akhtaruzzaman, on leave following allegations of political bias and collaboration with the Sheikh Hasina government. The judges were also temporarily removed from their judicial benches.

The 12 judges affected by the decision include: Justice Naima Haider, Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif, Justice Ashish Ranjan Das, Justice Mohammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar, Justice S.M. Moniruzzaman, Justice Ataur Rahman Khan, Justice Shahed Nuruddin, Justice Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Justice Md. Aminul Islam, Justice S.M. Masud Hossain Dolon, Justice Khizir Hayat, and Justice Khondkar Diliruzzaman.