Former Chief Justice of Bangladesh ABM Khairul Haque Arrested

Melbourne, July 24 — Former Chief Justice of Bangladesh, ABM Khairul Haque, has been arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. He was apprehended at around 8:30 AM local time on Thursday from a residence in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.

This has been confirmed by the Joint Commissioner of the Detective Branch, Mohammad Nasirul Islam. He told Prothom Alo that the former Chief Justice has been taken to the DB office at Minto Road in the capital.

Khairul Haque is facing a total of three cases in the capital’s Jatrabari and Narayanganj. He is being arrested in connection with one of these cases, according to Nasirul Islam.

Khairul Haque had been politically criticized for his role in delivering the main verdict in the case that abolished the caretaker government system.

In Narayanganj’s Fatulla Model Police Station, he faces charges of forgery and sedition in connection with a controversial verdict. The case was filed on August 25 of last year by Abdul Bari Bhuiyan, the former president of the district lawyer’s association and the general secretary of the BNP in Fatulla Police Station. There are also cases against him in Dhaka.

Khairul Haque was appointed as the 19th Chief Justice of Bangladesh on September 27, 2010, with his appointment taking effect on September 30 of the same year. He retired on May 17, 2011.

On July 23, 2013, Khairul Haque was appointed as Chairman of the Law Commission for a three-year term. After completing his term, he was reappointed to the position several times. He resigned from the chairmanship on August 13 of last year.

During his tenure in the Appellate Division, Khairul Haque delivered the verdict that abolished the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which dealt with the caretaker government system, and declared fatwas illegal. While in the High Court Division, he delivered the verdicts in the Bangabandhu assassination case and the 5th Amendment case. He also delivered judgments in cases related to the protection of Dhaka’s four rivers and the declaration of independence.

Meanwhile, the political parties in the country have welcomed Khairul Haque’s arrest. The Amir of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, posted on Facebook saying, “ABM Khairul Haque was in the position of Chief Justice during a fascist era. No, he never realized the dignity of his position and did not uphold the trust. The law enforcement agencies have, albeit late, caught him. The nation now expects his fair trial and just punishment. We hope that he will receive the exemplary punishment that will serve as a lesson in history.”

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir spoke to the media at the party’s chairperson’s office, saying, “We thank Allah that former Justice Khairul Haque, who was the biggest enemy of the country and caused immense damage to Bangladesh from a high position, has been arrested. He held a position responsible for shaping the fate of Bangladesh, but instead, he resorted to deceit. He betrayed the people and the country. He should face exemplary punishment so that no one in the future can use such a position to harm the state.”