Why Was Bangladesh's Former Chief Justice Arrested in Dhaka?

Dhaka, July 24 (NationPress) In a significant development, former Chief Justice of Bangladesh, A.B.M. Khairul Haque, was apprehended at his residence in Dhaka on Thursday morning, according to local media sources citing police reports.

Police spokesperson and Joint Commissioner of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Mohammad Nasirul Islam, stated, "We took former Chief Justice A.B.M. Khairul Haque into custody from his residence in Dhanmondi, shortly after 8 a.m. on Thursday (July 24). He will be escorted to the DB office, where further actions will be determined." This information was reported by the leading Bangladeshi newspaper Jugantor.

Details regarding the reasons for his arrest and the nature of the ongoing inquiry have not been disclosed by the senior police official.

"Additional information will be provided as it becomes available," the DB official added.

This arrest is part of a broader crackdown on individuals linked to the Awami League administration, furthering efforts by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government to stifle Hasina's political faction.

Khairul, who served as the 19th Chief Justice from September 2010 until May 2011, was appointed chairman of the Law Commission in 2013 during former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's term, with subsequent reappointments.

He submitted his resignation as Chairman on August 13 of last year, shortly after the Awami League was ousted from power.

In a recent press conference, the Nationalist Lawyers' Forum demanded the detention and prosecution of Khairul, labeling him as the "chief architect of the erosion of the country's judiciary and democracy."

Reports indicate that two legal cases have been initiated against Khairul in different police precincts since the interim government took control of Bangladesh.

One case was lodged in August last year by a BNP leader and Narayanganj District Bar, linked to Khairul's ruling that declared the caretaker government system unconstitutional 13 years ago.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Dilruba Afroze Tithi subsequently dismissed the case, citing a lack of valid grounds for the allegations against Khairul.

Analysts view these incidents as part of a political vendetta executed by the Yunus-led interim government, which has filed several cases against former Prime Minister Hasina, her allies, and officials from her administration based on questionable premises following her removal in August 2024.

The abrupt ousting of Hasina in August, spurred by a violent student uprising, was perceived globally as a significant blow to the nation's democratic framework.