No bar to release as SC chamber judge upholds Ex-CJ Khairul Haque's bail

The Supreme Court's chamber judge today (2 July) upheld the High Court's order granting bail to former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque in a murder case filed over the death of a protester during the 2024 July Uprising, clearing the way for his release from jail.

Justice Md Rezaul Haque passed the order after hearing the prosecution's plea seeking a stay on the High Court's bail order.

Senior lawyers Mansurul Haque Chowdhury, Motahar Hossain Saju, Syed Ahmed Raza, and Md Jahangir Hossain represented the former chief justice during the hearing.

Speaking to reporters, lawyer Saju said there was now no legal bar to Khairul's release as he had secured bail in all the cases filed against him, including the latest order upheld by the Chamber Court.

Earlier, on 16 May, police sought to show Khairul was arrested in the case through an application filed by Sub-Inspector Md Ibrahim Khalil of Jatrabari Police Station.

On 23 May, after obtaining bail in seven separate cases, Khairul was shown arrested in a case filed with Jatrabari Police Station over the killing of Khowaib, who had joined the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement that spearheaded the 2024 July Uprising.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque approved the police application.

On 30 June, a High Court bench comprising Justice KM Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher granted Khairul bail in the case. The prosecution later challenged the order before the Appellate Division.

According to the case documents, Khowaib, 20, joined the movement near the Jatrabari footbridge on the morning of 5 August 2024.

Around 11:00am, protesters marched towards the Jatrabari intersection when police, RAB, and armed activists of the Awami League and its associates – Jubo League, Chhatra League, and Swechchhasebak League – allegedly opened fire on the demonstrators under the direction and with the backing of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and others, it added.

Khowaib sustained critical injuries and was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the case statement mentioned.

On 16 November 2024, Khowaib's brother, Zobayer Ahmed, filed the murder case with Jatrabari Police Station, naming Sheikh Hasina and 79 others as accused.

On 24 July 2025, the Detective Branch of police arrested Khairul from his residence in the capital's Dhanmondi area. He was subsequently shown arrested in eight cases one after another.