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[๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฉ] The fate of big guns/beneficiaries of Awami League after the student revolution

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[๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฉ] The fate of big guns/beneficiaries of Awami League after the student revolution
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ACC asked to freeze accounts, assets of ex-minister Nuruzzaman
Staff Correspondent 01 July, 2025, 00:28

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The Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court on Monday ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to freeze 57 bank accounts of former social welfare minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed and his wife Hosne Ara Begum over graft allegations.

Besides, the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court on the day placed five members of an alleged fraud gang on a two-day remand for interrogation in a case filed on charges of taking money from people posing as ACC officials.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Jakir Hossain passed an order asking the ACC to freeze 57 bank accounts of Nuruzzaman Ahmed and his wife Hosne Ara Begum following a petition from the ACC.

Of the accounts, 32 are with deposits worth Tk 6.26 crore in the name of Nuruzzaman, while 25 belong to his wife Hosne Ara with deposits worth Tk 81.65 lakh.

The court also ordered the seizure of three plots of the couple -- one in Purbachal in Dhaka and two in Lalmonirhat.

The ACC on February 3, 2025 filed three separate cases against Nuruzzaman Ahmed, his wife Hosne Ara Begum and their son Rakibuzzaman.

On January 30, police arrested Nuruzzaman, also a former Awami League lawmaker for Lalmonirhat-2 constituency, from Rangpur city over various cases.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Saifuzzaman granted two-day remand for five people in a case filed on charges of cheating people posing as ACC officials.

Those remanded are Selim, 40, Md Tarikul Islam, 40, Md Atik, 38, Md Abdul Hai Sohagh, 35, and Md Sohagh Patwari, 40.

Earlier, the members of the law enforcing agencies arrested Sohagh Patwari on Sunday and rests of the accused were arrested on Saturday night.

The arrestees used to cheat people with promises to free them from the cases with the ACC introducing themselves as ACC chair, director general, and other high officials.

ACC director general (prevention) Akhtar Hossain said that a Facebook status of Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser (South) of the National Citizens Party, had drawn the attention of the ACC.

The ACC then decided to conduct an inquiry into the allegation and an ACC inquiry team led by an ACC director identified the gang and arrested them in the capital.

Later, ACC assistant director Sazzad Hossain filed the case with the Ramna police station in the capital on Sunday over the incident.

On June 24 night, Hasnat posted a Facebook status, along with three video clips, claiming โ€˜In independent Bangladesh, ACCโ€™s tea bill is Tk 1 lakhโ€™.

He alleged that although there were no formal allegations of graft against a person, an ACC clearance was offered in exchange for Tk 1 lakh.

In the post he wrote, โ€˜Recently, Mahamuda Mitu was asked for this money by a man introducing him as an ACC official. She was told, โ€˜You are a doctor, you shouldnโ€™t have any shortage of money โ€” just pay Tk 1 lakh and get the clearance.โ€™

Amid criticism over the Facebook post, the ACC issued a statement clarifying that no ACC official was involved in the misconduct.​
 

Bashundhara chair, Tarique Siddique defy ACC
03 July, 2025, 00:30

Bashundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, retired Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique, who was the defence and security adviser to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and his wife Shaheen Siddique did not appear at the Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday, disregarding its summon.

Meanwhile, in an order issued on the day, the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court asked the ACC to seize plots and a building worth around Tk 15 crore belonging to Tarique Ahmed Siddique and his brother Shafique Ahmed Siddique.

Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, Tarique Ahmed and his wife Shaheen were scheduled to appear before the commissionโ€™s inquiry team at 12 noon on the day at the commission headquarters to give a statement regarding an inquiry.

The ACC on Monday summoned Ahmed Akbar to appear at the commission over an inquiry into allegations against Tarique Ahmed Siddique of amassing illegal wealth. It also summoned Tarique Ahmed Siddique and his wife Shaheen to appear on the same day.

On June 30, a Dhaka court ordered the ACC to seize the assets of Tarique Ahmed, his wife Shaheen and daughter Nurin Siddique that include a seven-storey house and three flats in Baridhara DOHS in Dhaka city, two flats, four five-katha plots in Purbachal, and one plot in Bashundhara residential area.

Earlier, the anti-corruption commission summoned Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, his son and Bashundhara group managing director Sayem Sobhan Anvir and several other members of the family to appear on May 25โ€“26 over allegations brought against them of land grabbing, money embezzlement and laundering.

They did not appear at the commission on the scheduled dates at that time also.

The Wednesday order in which Dhaka metropolitan senior special judge Md Jakir Hossain asked for the seizure of Tk 15 crore-worth properties of Tarique Ahmed and brother Shafique, also asked the authorities to appoint a receiver to supervise the properties following a plea by the ACC.

The seized properties include 17 decimals of land of Shafique Ahmed Siddique in Gazipur, 67 decimals of land of Tarique Ahmed Siddique and a 10-storey building.

The anti-corruption agency in its plea said that it was probing into allegations of amassing illegal wealth against the Siddique brothers in the process of which it learnt that they were trying to handover the properties to evade justice.​
 

ACC asked to freeze bank accounts of ex-DGFI chief Hamidul
Staff Correspondent 07 July, 2025, 23:57

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The Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court on Monday allowed the Anti-Corruption Commission to freeze four bank accounts of former director general of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence Major General (retired) Hamidul Hoque over allegations of corruption.

The court also imposed a travel ban on Md Hazrat Ali, a retired chief engineer of the Power Development Board over allegations of amassing illegal wealth.

Judge Md Jakir Hossain of the court, responding to a petition by ACC assistant director Nawshad Ali, allowed the ACC to seize four accounts of Hamidul Hoque at Pubali Bank.

According to the petition, the ACC received information that Hamidul Hoque and his associates were attempting to withdraw or transfer the money from the accounts, potentially obstructing the inquiry.

Earlier, on April 21, the court imposed a travel ban on Hamidul and his wife, Nusrat Jahan Mukta, as part of the same inquiry.

The court, responding to a petition submitted by ACC deputy director Nazmul Islam, also issued a travel ban on Md Hazrat Ali, a retired chief engineer of the PDB.

The ACC, in the petition, stated that Hazrat Ali was under inquiry over allegations of amassing illegal wealth through corruption and irregularities and there was credible information that Hazrat might attempt to flee the country to avoid legal proceedings.

The court also ordered the ACC to seize assets and bank accounts of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasinaโ€™s former assistant private secretary Gazi Hafizur Rahman Liku in connection with a graft case.

The court passed the order responding to a petition filed by ACC assistant director Rakibul Haiyat.

The court asked the ACC to seize Hafizurโ€™s three-katha plot in the capitalโ€™s Uttara and his 14 decimal land in Gopalganj.

The court also asked the ACC to freeze a bank account, a credit card of Standard Chartered Bank and savings certificates worth Tk 5 lakh.

On January 13, the ACC filed a case against Gazi Hafizur Rahman on charges of amassing illegal assets worth Tk 52.32 lakh, and conducting suspicious transactions of Tk 144.59 crore in his 33 bank accounts.​
 

Former ICT minister Palak breaks down in tears inside courtroom
Asaduzzaman Dhaka
Updated: 09 Jul 2025, 21: 32

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Former State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak broke down in tears at the courtroom on 9 July. Asaduzzaman

Former State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak broke down in tears today, Wednesday, while standing in the dock of Dhakaโ€™s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court.

As police escorted him out of the courtroom, a journalist asked, โ€œPalak Bhai, why did you cry today?โ€

Palak remained silent and did not respond to any questions from reporters. He was shown arrested today in a murder case filed with Jatrabari Police Station.

Detained leaders stay in the same prison building

On 5 August last year, the government of Sheikh Hasina was overthrown following a mass student-led uprising. On 13 August, the police announced the arrest of Salman F Rahman, former advisor on private investment and industry to Sheikh Hasina, and Anisul Huq, the former law minister. Both were detained from Sadarghat in Dhaka.

According to their lawyers, Salman and Anisul are being held in the same prison building in Dhaka Central Jail, located in Keraniganj. While they are kept in separate cells, they are housed within the same prison block and transported together to court in the same prison van.

Others housed in the Champakoli block of Dhaka Central Jail include former ministers Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzaque, Qamrul Islam, former Dhaka North mayor Atiqul Islam, and former bureaucrats Jahangir Alam, Helal Uddin Ahmed, Mohibul Haque, and Nozibur Rahman.

Anisulโ€™s lawyer, Asifur Rahman, told Prothom Alo that none of Anisulโ€™s close relatives are currently in the country, so he visits him every 15 days. In prison, Anisul spends his time reading newspapers, religious and law books.

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Salman F Rahman is being escorted to the CMM Court on 9 July Prothom Alo

Salmanโ€™s lawyer said the same about his client that no close family members are currently in Bangladesh. Salman also spends his time reading religious books and newspapers.

Senior Jail Superintendent Suraiya Akhter said that Salman, Anisul, and around 60 other first-class prisoners are housed in the same block. They do not mix with general inmates but see each other regularly.

According to jail rules, first-class inmates are allowed visits from close family members every 15 days, and they receive special meals, including fish and meat.

On Pahela Baishakh, they were served panta and hilsa, and on both Eid festivals, meat was provided.

Salman and Anisul were brought from prison to the Dhaka CMM Court today and shown arrested in the Jatrabari murder case.

Appearance in court
At 10:25am, they stood side by side in the dock, speaking quietly to each other. Seven minutes later, former Education Minister Dipu Moni was also brought to the dock. She began speaking with Palak, and then moved toward Salman, greeting him and then talking with Anisul as well. At this point, the judge had not yet entered the courtroom.

The judge arrived at 10:35am. Police then filed petitions to show Salman, Anisul, Dipu Moni, Amir Hossain Amu, and Palak arrested in separate murder cases filed at the Jatrabari police station.

Even during the hearing, Salman, Anisul, and Dipu Moni continued talking among themselves in low voices.

At one point, a police officer called out Salmanโ€™s name. Salman raised his right hand to ensure his presence.

Palak in tears
While the others were talking, Palak kept looking toward the courtroom balcony, where one of his relatives was standing. He tried to communicate with the relative through gestures.

Suddenly, Palak began to cry, wiping away his tears with his right hand. Then, head lowered and visibly emotional, he stood silently in the dock.

After the hearing to show the accused arrested, helmets were placed on each of them before being escorted away at 10:55am. Except for Amu and Dipu Moni, the rest had their hands cuffed behind their backs.

Palak, Salman, and Anisul all stood silently with their heads lowered.

As Palak was being escorted out of the courtroom, a journalist again asked him why he criedโ€”but he remained silent.

While Palak was being led down from the fifth floor of the courthouse, Salman was right behind him. Seeing Salman, an onlooker became visibly agitated and hurled insults at him. Salman kept his head down and walked down the stairs quietly.

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Dipu Moni is being escorted to the CMM Court on 9 July

Amu followed Salman, assisted by two constables holding him by the arms. Dipu Moni came last, head bowed, as she descended the stairs.

Her lawyer, Faisal Gazi, told Prothom Alo that Dipu Moni is currently held in Kashimpur womenโ€™s prison, where she passes her time reading newspapers and religious texts.​
 

Court orders freezing assests of S Alam Group chair, family in Singapore

FE Online Desk
Published :
Jul 10, 2025 19:54
Updated :
Jul 10, 2025 20:24

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A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of 64 bank accounts and shares in 10 companies registered in the names of Mohammad Saiful Alam, Chairman of S Alam Group, and his family members in Singapore.

The order was issued on Thursday by Acting Judge Mohammad Ibrahim Mia of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The ACC, in the petition, claimed that the assets were obtained using laundered funds from illegal activities and urged the court to impose an injunction to block any transfer or disposal of the assets.

As per the court order, the frozen assets include 40 bank accounts in Saiful Alamโ€™s name, six in the name of his wife Farzana Parveen, and shares in eight companies registered under their names in Singapore.

Additionally, seven bank accounts and one company share held by their son Ashraful Alam, seven bank accounts and one company share held by another son Ahsanul Alam, one bank account held by son Asadul Alam Mahir, two bank accounts held by brother-in-law Ahmed Belal, and one account held by sister Maimuna Khanom have been frozen.​
 

Economist Barkat held in graft case

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Prof Abul Barkat

Economist Prof Abul Barkat was arrested in the capital last night in a case filed with the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch arrested him around 11:30pm at his home on Dhanmondi Road-3 .

"As per Anti-Corruption Commission's request, the DB team conducted a drive and arrested him," Mohammad Nasirul Islam, joint commissioner (South) of DMP DB told The Daily Star.

"We will hand him over to ACC tomorrow morning," he added.

Prof Abul Barkat is a former chairman of the state-owned Janata Bank PLC.

In February, the ACC filed a case alleging that during his tenure as chairman, Abul Barkat was involved in loan fraud involving AnonTex Group, a ready-made garments company, resulting in the embezzlement of Tk 297 crore from Janata Bank.

The case names 23 individuals as accused, including Abul Barkat, former Janata Bank director Jamal Uddin Ahmed, and former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman.

Atiur was the BB governor from 2005 to 2015.

Barkat, former president of the Bangladesh Economic Association and a faculty member at Dhaka University, was appointed chairman of Janata Bank on September 9, 2009, for a three-year term.

He served two consecutive terms, completing five years in the position before stepping down in September 2014.

Earlier, the ACC investigated the same incident of money embezzlement and closed the case in 2022, citing a lack of evidence against the accused.​
 

Ex-law minister Anisul sent to jail in arms case

BSS
Published :
Jul 11, 2025 17:51
Updated :
Jul 11, 2025 17:51

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A Dhaka court on Friday sent former law minister Anisul Huq to jail after end of his two-day remand in a case lodged under The Arms Act with the cityโ€™s Banani Police Station.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasibuzzaman passed the order as police produced him before the court after the end of his remand and pleaded to keep him behind bars till the end of probe in the case.

Earlier on July 7 last, the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Minahajul Islam had placed Anisul on the two-day remand.

According to the case documents, the government, through a circular issued on August 25, 2024, had suspended the arms licenses granted between January 6, 2009 and August 5, 2024 and instructed the licensed arms holders to deposit their firearms and ammunition at the nearest police station by September 3, 2024. If any arms and ammunition are not deposited within the stipulated time, those will be treated as illegal, and cases will be filed accordingly.

Police filed the case against Anisul Huq on May 24, 2025, as there was no information on whether the former law minister had surrendered his licensed weapon in line with the August 25, 2024 circular and none was found in the address given on the arms license.

Anisul Huq was arrested from the capitalโ€™s Sadarghat area on August 13, 2024 as he, along with Salman F Rahman, was trying to flee the city through the riverway. He has been shown arrested and subsequently placed on different terms of remand in many cases lodged over the crimes committed during the July-August mass uprising.​
 

Ex-chief justice Khairul sent to jail

bdnews24.com
Published :
Jul 24, 2025 21:45
Updated :
Jul 24, 2025 21:45

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A Dhaka court has ordered former chief justice and former Law Commission chairman ABM Khairul Hauque into jail pending trial in a case over the murder of a Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal activist during the July Uprising.

On Thursday night, Dhakaโ€™s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sanaullah issued the order after hearing arguments from both sides.

Around 7:45pm, Khairul was brought to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court and placed in the courtโ€™s holding cell. Police requested that he be kept in jail custody.

Khairul had been arrested earlier on Thursday by the Detective Branch of police at his Dhanmondi home.

He was shown arrested in a case filed on Jul 6 this year over the fatal shooting of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum Ahad during anti-discrimination protests last year.

Ahad died on Jul 18, 2024, after being shot during clashes in the Kajla area of Jatrabari amid the nationwide movement demanding equal rights and non-discriminatory state policy.

The murder case was filed by Ahadโ€™s father, Alauddin, with Jatrabari Police Station. A total of 467 people were named as accused in the case, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.​
 

Ex-Chief Justice Khairul Haque in dock for 40 mins, handcuffed
Asaduzzaman Dhaka
Updated: 25 Jul 2025, 20: 42

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Former Chief Justice Khairul Haque at the court on 24 July 2025Prothom Alo

It was 8:00 pm. A blue prison van, whistles loudly being blown, entered the main gate of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Old Dhaka via the Rayshaheb Bazar intersection.

As the van entered, leaders of the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum began chanting slogans demanding the punishment of former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque.

The vehicle swiftly made its way into the courtโ€™s lockup area.

While the former Chief Justice remained in lockup, members of the Forum continued their demonstrations right outside the detention block, demanding his punishment.

Head of the Dhaka Metropolitan Policeโ€™s prosecution division, Deputy Commissioner Tarek Zubair, entered through the courtโ€™s main gate and issued strict instructions to police personnel to prevent any untoward incidents. Following this, all entrances to the court were shut.

Members of the army took up position outside the court. Moments later, Khairul Haque was escorted out of the lockup, not via the main road, but through an inner route within the court premises.

As he neared the stairs, he was seen with hands cuffed behind his back. He wore a policeโ€™s bulletproof vest over a white shirt and black trousers, with leather sandals on his feet. Two police officers assisted him as he ascended to the third floor, leaning on them for balance. Once upstairs, he was placed in the dock.

While standing in the dock, a police officer attempted to remove his handcuffs. The former chief justice stood with his head bowed. At that time a police officer unfastened the cuff on his right wrist; it was dangling from his hand. He remained silent, head lowered, in front of an audience of over 100 members of the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum and several state prosecutors.

At 8:10 pm, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sanaullah entered the courtroom from his chamber. The former chief justice looked up briefly, then bowed his head again.

Former Chief Justice Khairul Haque was the chief architect of turning Sheikh Hasina into a fascist. He nullified the 13th Amendment, misused the verdict through forgery, and abolished the caretaker government system, thus enabling Hasinaโ€™s autocracy. Heโ€™s a stain on the judiciary and has acted no differently than an Awami League party activist
Khorshed Alam, former president of the Dhaka Bar Association.

Earlier that morning, Khairul Haque had been arrested from his Dhanmondi residenceโ€”the first time in Bangladeshโ€™s history that a former Chief Justice had been taken into custody. Later, he was taken to the office of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

โ€˜Acted like a party activistโ€™
Jubo Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum was killed during the demonstrations of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the public in the capitalโ€™s Jatrabari area on 18 July last year. Khairul Haque is one of the accused in the murder case filed at Jatrabari police station.

The caseโ€™s investigation officer, inspector Khaled Hasan, submitted a written petition to the court seeking Khairul Haqueโ€™s detention.

In a written petition, he accused Khairul Haque of repeated breaches of trust, forgery and even acts of sedition through misrepresentation of judicial verdicts while serving as the chief justice from 2011. He mentioned pending cases against the former CJ in Bandar and Fatullah police stations in Chattogram for sedition, and another in Dhakaโ€™s Shahbagh for violating his oath of office while in office.

The investigation officer told the court, โ€œThe accused is a highly influential person. Granting him bail could obstruct the investigation and incite unrest among students, citizens, and political groups. Therefore, I request the court to keep him in custody until the trial concludes.โ€

Speaking on behalf of the complainant, Khorshed Alamโ€”former president of the Dhaka Bar Association and president of the Dhaka Bar unit of the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forumโ€”told the court, โ€œFormer Chief Justice Khairul Haque was the chief architect of turning Sheikh Hasina into a fascist. He nullified the 13th Amendment, misused the verdict through forgery, and abolished the caretaker government system, thus enabling Hasinaโ€™s autocracy. Heโ€™s a stain on the judiciary and has acted no differently than an Awami League party activist.โ€

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Former Chief Justice Khairul Haque at the court on 24 July 2025 Prothom Alo

He added, โ€œThe judiciary is the last refuge for the people. Because of party-aligned judges like him, public trust in the judiciary has been eroded.โ€

As Khorshed Alam spoke, the former chief justice stood silently in the dock, head lowered, his expression reflecting despair.

He went on to say, โ€œBy abolishing the caretaker system, former chief justice Khairul Haque turned Bangladesh into a hell. BNP is a democratic party. Weโ€™ve been directed by the partyโ€™s top leadership that none of our activists must physically harm the former chief justice.โ€

โ€œThe way people loathe fascist Sheikh Hasina, in the same manner they detest this former chief justice as well. We thank the interim government for arresting the person most responsible for killing democracy. But why was he brought to court at night? Because during the day, had the public known, they wouldโ€™ve flooded the courtroom,โ€ he continued.

Khorshed Alam maintained, โ€œWe think, during the student-people uprising, fascist Sheikh Hasinaโ€™s law enforcement agencies and her goons shot dead unarmed students and civilians. She is facing murder charges for these killings. We think Khairul Haque should also be made an accused in each one. We believe in the rule of law. That is why, we have not, and will not, dishonour him physically. But he acted as a partisan judge.โ€

He also alleged that Khairul Haque was the key player behind evicting former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia from her home. โ€œIf he had not repealed the 13th Amendment, if the caretaker system had remained, the current political disaster couldโ€™ve been avoided. Sheikh Hasina also could not have turned into an autocratโ€ he added.

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Former Chief Justice Khairul Haque at the court on 24 July 2025 Prothom Alo

Another Forum leader and current president of the Dhaka Barโ€™s ad-hoc committee, Khorshed Alam Mia, addressed the court, โ€œYour Honour, weโ€™ve been in the legal profession for 40 years. Retired judges are also supposed to retain respect. But Khairul Haque has sinned greatly. His arrest is a partial act of atonement. He is singularly responsible for Sheikh Hasinaโ€™s transformation into a fascist ruler. Over the past 17 years, hundreds of opposition leaders and activists have been abducted, killed, or forced into exile. This former chief justice is the mastermind behind that repression.โ€

As he spoke, the lawyers present began chanting: โ€œYour Honour, he is a disgrace to the judiciary!โ€

Additional public prosecutors Azizul Haque and Abul Kalam Khan also argued in favour of detaining Haque.

Sudden black-out at courtroom
At 8:30 pm, power in the courtroom was suddenly cut, plunging the room into darkness. Lawyers turned on the torches on their phones. Khairul Haque stepped back within the dock as several police officers surrounded him.

During the prosecutionโ€™s arguments, Haque looked up at the magistrate but then lowered his gaze as he listened to the accusations in silence. He had no defence lawyer representing him.

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Former Chief Justice Khairul Haque at the court on 24 July 2025 Prothom Alo

At the end of the arguments by the plaintiffโ€™s lawyers, the court ruled, โ€œAs no bail petition has been filed and the prosecution has applied for keeping him in custody, the accused is to be detained in custody.โ€

Upon hearing the order, Khairul Haque kept his head bowed. At that time, a police officer approached, and Khairul Haque placed his hands behind his back once again. The handcuffs were reapplied, and a helmet placed on his head. Two officers supported him as he descended the stairs.

On the stairs, as he reached the second floor, a deep sadness could be read on his face.

Slowly and silently, leaning on the police members, he was taken back to the lockup via an internal court passage.

It was then 9:00 pm. Khairul Haque was placed back in the prison van, which departed for Keraniganj Central Jail.​
 

Govtโ€™s making poor case for former chief justice
26 July, 2025, 00:00

THE police arrested former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque at Dhanmondi in Dhaka in the morning on July 24. A court in the evening sent him to jail in connection with a case filed on July 6, 2025 with the Jatrabari police for the murder of a young man, shot dead in the Kajla area in the capital during the uprising on July 18, 2024. Khairul Haque is the 44th accused of the case. There are a horde of allegations, including financial fraudulence, judicial misconduct and moral depravity, against him. The prominent among them is the judicial misconduct in the appeals court verdict that involved the caretaker government system, introduced by way of the 13th amendment to the constitution on March 28, 1996 for the holding of general elections. The open-court verdict of May 10, 2011, which declared the caretaker government illegal, said that the 10th and 11th parliamentary elections could still be held under a caretaker government, but the final written verdict, released on September 16, 2012 after Khairul Haqueโ€™s retirement, noted that only elected lawmakers could form such a government and the observation on the likely continuation of the caretaker government for two more times was dropped.

This was the single-biggest event that left far-reaching implications on the peaceful transition of power, laid the consensus arrived at in 1996 waste and allowed the Awami League government to emerge as an authoritarian regime for a decade and a half in the absence of rightful power transition. Besides such moral depravity, which also constitutes a political and legal crime, there are allegations of financial fraudulence against him. Khairul Haque received Tk 3.9 million from the funds of the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina for overseas medical treatment, which happened shortly after the caretaker government verdict. Khairul Haque, who was appointed chief justice on September 27, 2010 to assume office three days later and who retired on May 17, 2011, became the chair of the Law Commission on July 13, 2013 in breach of his own verdict that retired judges would remain disqualified from holding office of profit after their retirement. And he had held onto the position until his resignation on August 13, 2024 after being reappointed to the position three times. This is unfortunate that with such grave allegations levelled against him, the government arrested him in an uprising murder case, typical of many other cases involving Awami League-era big names post the uprising.

Whilst this reflects the incapability of the government in proper case formulation, this also pushes the government off the point and lessens the gravity of the crimes. We do not support such government efforts. And, Bangladesh must come out of this culture.​
 

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