The High Court has set May 17 for hearing a writ petition seeking directives not to arrest or harass former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque in any new cases.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debashis Roy Chowdhury passed the order after the state sought more time.
Senior lawyer Mohammad Motahar Hossain Saju appeared for the petitioner during the hearing.
Earlier on May 14, lawyer Monayem Nabi Shahin filed the writ petition with the relevant branch of the Supreme Court, seeking protection against Khairul Haque’s arrest or harassment in any fresh cases.
According to the petition, although Khairul Haque was not named in the FIRs, he had been shown arrested in multiple cases one after another, which the petition described as illegal and unlawful. The petition also sought a directive barring authorities from showing him arrested in any other cases while the existing matters remain pending.
On May 12, the High Court granted bail to Khairul Haque in two murder cases filed over incidents during the July mass uprising.
Following the order, his lawyers said there was no legal bar to his release from prison, as he had secured bail in all pending cases. However, the state has already moved the Appellate Division seeking a stay on that order.
Earlier on April 28, the Appellate Division upheld Khairul Haque’s bail in cases involving the killing of a Jubo Dal activist during the July uprising, alleged forgery of the caretaker government verdict, and five cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
On March 8, the High Court confirmed a rule regarding bail and granted him bail in four cases. Later on March 11, he also secured bail in the ACC case. The state subsequently appealed seeking a stay on the bail order, but the Appellate Division dismissed the plea.
Later, Khairul Haque was shown arrested in the Arif murder case filed with Jatrabari Police Station and the Rubel murder case filed with Adabor Police Station. After failing to secure bail from the lower courts in those cases, he moved the High Court, which granted him bail on May 12.
