HC grants Khairul Haque bail in 4 cases

The High Court today granted permanent bail to former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque in four cases filed on different charges, including murder.

The bench of Justice Md Khairul Alam and Justice Md Sagir Hossain delivered the verdict following four separate bail petitions filed by Khairul.

However, Khairul cannot be released from jail as he remains arrested in a corruption case, his lawyer Md Motaher Hossain Sazu told The Daily Star.

On March 5, 2026, the HC bench headed by Justice Md Khairul Alam fixed today for delivering the verdict after concluding the hearing on four rules issued by another bench following the bail petitions on October 26 last year, asking the state to explain why Khairul should not be granted bail in the cases.

During the hearing, senior lawyers Mohammad Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury, Sara Hossain, Md Motaher Hossain Sazu, Mohammad Sayed Ahmed Raza and Mustafizur Rahman Khan appeared for Khairul and prayed to the HC to grant him bail.

They argued that Khairul, who is around 80 years old, has been kept in custody for a long period and is suffering from various illnesses, including heart and diabetes-related problems. There has been no progress in the investigation into the cases, and in this situation, he may be granted bail, the lawyers told the HC.

Meanwhile, deputy attorneys general Abdulah-Al-Mamun Masud, Zahirul Islam Suman, Nahid Hasan and Md Akhteruzzaman represented the state and opposed the bail petitions during the hearing.

Khairul served as Chief Justice from September 30, 2010, to May 17, 2011. Under his leadership, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court delivered a verdict on May 10, 2011, that annulled the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which had introduced the caretaker government system in 1996.

Almost a year after the July mass uprising and the fall of the Awami League government, police arrested Khairul from his Dhanmondi residence on July 24 last year.

One of the cases was filed with Jatrabari Police Station on charges of killing Jubo Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum Ahad in Dhaka during the July movement. On August 27 last year, Supreme Court lawyer Mujahidul Islam Shaheen filed another case with Shahbagh Police Station, accusing him of forgery related to the caretaker government verdict.

Two other cases were filed against Khairul on similar charges with Fatullah and Bandar police stations in Narayanganj on August 25 by Nurul Islam Molla and Abduk Bari Bhuiyan.