The Appellate Division on Monday upheld the High Court’s decision to grant bail to former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque in a case involving attempted murder and Explosive Substances Act at Banani Police Station.
Appellate Division Chamber Court, presided over by Justice Md Rezaul Huq, passed a “no order” on a state petition seeking to stay the bail. Consequently, the bail remains effective, and lawyers confirmed there are no further legal barriers to Khairul’s release from prison.
Advocate Motahar Hossain Saju, assisted by Advocate Monayem Nabi Shahin, represented Khairul during the hearing, while Deputy Attorney General Syeda Sazia Sharmin appeared for the state.
The High Court had previously granted interim bail to Khairul in this case on 10 August.
Following his bail in eight other separate cases, the investigation officer applied to the court on 2 July to show him arrested in the Banani Police Station case, which was formally executed on 8 July.
After a lower court rejected his bail application on 27 July, he moved to the High Court for bail on 9 August.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the case pertains to an incident on 4 August 2024, when protesters were stationed in front of Setu Bhaban in Mohakhali.
While moving towards Shahbagh, they were allegedly attacked with gunfire and cocktails, resulting in injuries to 25 to 30 individuals, including one Uzzal Miah, who subsequently filed the case.
In a separate legal development on 9 August, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by the chief justice, disposed of a state petition against a High Court directive that ordered Khairul should not be arrested or harassed without a specific case.
Lawyers noted that this protective order remains in effect specifically for him.
ABM Khairul Haque was appointed as the 19th chief justice of Bangladesh on 27 September 2010, taking office on 30 September and retiring on 17 May 2011.
Following his retirement, he served three terms as the Chairman of the Law Commission until his resignation on 13 August 2024, following the fall of the Awami League government.
Khairul has been in custody since 24 July 2025, when police arrested him from his residence in Dhanmondi. He was initially sent to jail after being shown arrested in a case involving the murder of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum Ahad, filed at Jatrabari Police Station.
Since then, he has been shown arrested in several other cases and faces various charges, including murder, attempted murder, corruption, and the alleged forgery of the verdict concerning the caretaker government system.
