No Lawyer Defends Former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque in Court

In a historic development, a Dhaka court ordered the imprisonment of former Chief Justice and ex-Chairman of the Law Commission, ABM Khairul Haque, in connection with a murder case from the July uprising. Notably, no lawyer came forward to represent the former Chief Justice during the court proceedings, despite the presence of numerous lawyers opposing him.

On Thursday (July 24), at around 8:15 PM, Haque was presented before the court of Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Sanaullah under tight police security. The courtroom was packed with lawyers, and the investigating officer, Inspector Khaled Hasan of Jatrabari Police Station, submitted a petition to keep the accused in custody.

Khorshed Alam, president of the Nationalist Lawyers’ Forum, stated during the hearing, “Khairul Haque was a puppet of Hasina. He destroyed the judicial system and evicted Begum Khaleda Zia, the three-time Prime Minister, from her home. There is divine justice, and today he stands in the dock. Every case filed against Hasina will also be brought against him.” The president and general secretary of the Dhaka Bar Association also demanded his trial and detention. The acting Public Prosecutor, Azizul Haque Didar, strongly advocated for Haque’s imprisonment, saying, “We are ashamed to have worked under him. The judiciary was tarnished because of him. He engaged in verdict forgery, wrongfully evicted Khaleda Zia, and increased her sentence. He enabled Hasina’s authoritarian rule. People now spit at the mention of justices because of him. He deserves exemplary punishment so that future Chief Justices remember his fate.” Five to six lawyers spoke against Haque during the hearing, but none stood in his defense. Khorshed Mia, president of the Dhaka Bar Association, remarked to the court, “He is so despised that no lawyer stood for him.” Addressing the BNP-affiliated lawyers, Magistrate Md. Sanaullah said, “Your statements have brought many issues to light. You say you once respected and revered judges, but for certain reasons, you have moved away from that respect. Respect is earned through actions. Actions also create love or hatred. This incident (ABM Khairul Haque’s case) offers much to learn. Whether you respect or despise me, it is because of my actions.” At the end of the hearing, the court ordered Haque to be sent to jail, marking the first time a former Chief Justice of Bangladesh has been imprisoned. An Awami League-affiliated lawyer, who wished to remain anonymous, stated after the hearing, “The situation was such that no one could stand in Khairul Haque’s defense today.” Haque was brought to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court around 7:45 PM in a white microbus operated by the Detective Branch (DB) of police, accompanied by heavy security. As he was brought in, BNP-affiliated lawyers were heard chanting, “Hit Khairul on both cheeks, keep the rhythm!” He was then taken to the court’s custody cell.

Earlier that day, Haque was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence by the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police and taken to the DB office on Minto Road. According to case documents, during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement on July 18, 2024, Jubo Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum Ahad was shot dead in Jatrabari’s Kajla area. His father, Ala Uddin, filed a murder case on July 6 at Jatrabari Police Station, naming 467 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, as accused. Haque was arrested in connection with this case.