Ex-CJ Khairul shown arrested in two more cases

A Dhaka court on Monday showed former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque arrested in two separate murder cases filed with Jatrabari and Adabor police stations in connection with the July uprising.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jamsed Alam granted the police petition to show him arrested following hearings on the applications.

According to court sources, Sub-Inspector Md Mahmudul Hasan, investigation officer of the case over the killing of student Md Arif in Jatrabari, submitted the arrest petition on 10 March.

Another petition was filed by Sub-Inspector Mohammad Tipu Sultan in connection with the killing of garment worker Rubel in Adabor on 29 April. The court had earlier set Monday for the hearing of the two petitions in the presence of the accused.

Khairul was brought to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court around 11:45am under tight police security after being kept in the court’s holding cell since 9:30am. During the hearing, he stood silently in the dock.

Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqui argued in favour of showing the former chief justice arrested, while defence lawyer Monayem Nabi Shahin opposed the petition. After hearing both sides, the court approved the police applications to show him arrested in the two cases.

During the hearing, the prosecution argued that Khairul is a named accused in the cases and alleged that during his tenure as chief justice he played a role in political decisions that benefited the previous government.

The prosecution also claimed that his actions had long-term political consequences and therefore his arrest was necessary for the sake of proper investigation.

The defence, however, argued that Khairul, now 81, is a former chief justice and a victim of what they described as “judicial harassment.”

His lawyer said he had already been granted bail in five cases on 5 March, but was subsequently shown arrested in additional cases to keep him detained. The defence also appealed for his bail considering his age and the fact that he has been in custody for nearly a year.

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In response, the judge said the hearing was limited to the arrest petitions and not bail. He noted that the defence’s bail request had been recorded but that the accused was being formally shown arrested in the two cases.

According to the case documents, student Md Arif, a first-year Alim student of Lord Hardinge Senior Fazil Madrasa, was shot in the eye during clashes between police and activists of the Awami League in the Kutubkhali Boubazar Road area of Jatrabari on 19 July 2024, during the July uprising.

He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His father, Md Yusuf, filed the case on 26 August 2024.

In the other murder case, it is alleged that on 5 August 2024, garment worker Md Rubel was shot dead when police and activists of several affiliated organisations allegedly opened fire on a protest procession of students and civilians in the Ring Road area under Adabor Police Station.

The case was filed on 22 August 2024 by Rubel’s father, Rafiqul Islam.

Khairul was arrested by police from his residence in Dhanmondi on 24 July 2025 and has remained in custody since then.