The High Court on Wednesday granted bail to former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), clearing the final legal barrier to his release.
The order was issued by a High Court bench headed by Justice Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain.
Following the ruling, there is no further impediment to Khairul Haque’s release, his lawyer Monayem Nabi Shaheen said.
Earlier on Sunday, the High Court granted bail to the former chief justice in four other cases related to the killing of Jubo Dal activists during the July movement and allegations of judgment forgery linked to the caretaker government issue.
Senior lawyers Mansorul Haque Chowdhury, Mostafizur Rahman Khan and Motahar Hossain Saju, along with lawyer Monayem Nabi Shaheen, represented the bail petition during the hearing.
Police arrested Khairul Haque from his residence in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area on July 24 last year. He was later shown arrested in the murder case of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Qayyum Ahad, who was killed in Jatrabari during the July movement.
Besides this case, four additional cases were filed against the former chief justice. After a lower court rejected his bail petitions in those cases, he sought bail from the High Court.
The High Court later issued a rule regarding bail in five cases. Hearings in the four cases, excluding the ACC case, concluded last Wednesday.
Khairul Haque served as the country’s 19th chief justice after being appointed on September 27, 2010. He retired on May 17, 2011. Following his retirement, he served three terms as chairman of the Law Commission.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
