SC upholds HC bail for former CJ Khairul Haque in five cases

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld the High Court's bail order for former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque in five cases, including the murder of a Juba Dal activist during the July uprising, forgery of judgements related to the caretaker government system, and three cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over irregularities in plots and housing projects .

The Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, passed the order on Tuesday, April 28, rejecting the state's appeal against the High Court's bail decision .

Senior lawyers Kamrul Haque Siddiqui and Motahar Hossain Saju represented Khairul Haque in court .

The High Court bench of Justice Md Khairul Alam and Justice Md Sagir Hossain had granted bail and issued a rule in four cases on March 8. Later on March 11, Khairul Haque received bail in ACC case as well. However, he remains in custody as he was shown arrested in two other cases later filed in lower courts .

Khairul Haque was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence on July 24 last year. He was later shown arrested in the murder case of Abdul Kaiyum Ahad, a Juba Dal activist, in Jatrabari.

In addition to this case, four other cases were filed against Khairul Haque. Among them, one case was filed on August 27 last year at Shahbagh Police Station by Supreme Court lawyer Mujahidul Islam Shahin, accusing him of forging the caretaker government system-related judgement .

Another case was filed on August 25 at Fatulla Police Station, Narayanganj, by Abdul Bari Bhuiyan, a former president of the district bar association and general secretary of Fatulla thana BNP .

A similar case was filed in Narayanganj's Bandar Police Station by Nurul Islam Molla on August 25. Prior to this, the ACC had also filed a case on August 4 accusing him of corruption in plot forgery. After lower courts rejected his bail, Khairul Haque moved the High Court seeking bail in all these cases .

Khairul Haque was appointed as the 19th Chief Justice of Bangladesh on September 27, 2010, and his appointment took effect from September 30 that year. He retired on May 17, 2011. He later served as chairman of the Law Commission three times .