The Appellate Division of Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the bail granted to former chief justice ABM Khairul Huque in two murder cases filed in connection with deaths during the July mass uprising.
Justice Md Rezaul Huq of the Chamber Court passed a ‘no order’ on two separate petitions filed by the state seeking to stay the High Court’s earlier bail order.
This ruling effectively clears the way for the former chief justice’s release, according to his legal counsel.
Advocate Md Motahar Hossain Saju, representing former chief justice, stated that there are now no legal obstacles to his client’s release following the Chamber Court’s decision.
He noted, however, that the government has recently applied to a relevant lower court seeking permission to show Khairul Huque arrested in another criminal case.
The state was represented during the hearing by Deputy Attorney General Syeda Shazia Sharmin.
The judicial proceedings follow a High Court order on 12 May which granted bail to Justice Huq in two specific murder cases-the killing of Arif at Jatrabari Police Station and Rubel at Adabor Police Station. He had moved to the High Court after being denied bail by lower courts in these instances.
Justice Khairul Huque was arrested on 24 July last year from his residence in Dhanmondi. He was initially shown arrested in a case involving the murder of Juba Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum Ahad in Jatrabari during the July uprising.
On 28 April, the Appellate Division upheld his bail in five other cases, which included the Juba Dal activist murder case, allegations regarding the forgery of the caretaker government verdict, and a case initiated by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Earlier, on 8 March, the High Court had granted him bail in four cases, and he secured bail in the ACC case on 11 March. Although the state sought to stay these bail orders, the Appellate Division previously dismissed those petitions.
