A Dhaka court has placed former chief justice and ex-chairman of the Law Commission ABM Khairul Haque on a seven-day police remand in a case linked to alleged corruption and manipulation of the Supreme Court verdict that abolished the caretaker government system.
The case, filed on Aug 27, 2024, by Supreme Court lawyer Muzahedul Islam Shahin with Shahbagh Police Station, accuses Khairul of altering the Supreme Court’s ruling on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution while serving as chief justice.
In May 2011, a bench led by Khairul Haque declared the amendment unconstitutional, dismantling the caretaker government mechanism that oversaw national elections.
Critics have long argued that this decision allowed the then-ruling Awami League to hold elections under its administration, sparking years of political unrest and disputed polls.
The complaint alleges that Khairul, influenced by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, modified the brief order in the 13th Amendment case before issuing the full judgment, thereby committing judicial fraud.
The case was filed under Sections 219 and 466 of the Penal Code. Section 219 punishes public servants who knowingly deliver unlawful judicial decisions, while Section 466 addresses forgery of judicial records or official documents.
Both carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison along with fines.
Police sought a 10-day remand, but Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sanaullah granted seven days after a hearing on Wednesday.
Khairul Haque was produced before court under tight security from jail, where he has been detained since his arrest from his Dhanmondi residence on Jul 24 in connection with a separate case over the killing of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum Ahad during last year’s mass upsurge.
This marks the first instance in Bangladesh’s history where a former chief justice has been remanded over a judgment he delivered while in office.
Following the ouster of the Awami League government in July 2024, multiple cases surfaced against Khairul Haque, including a graft investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission over alleged illegal land acquisition.
Khairul Haque, who served as chief justice between October 2010 and May 2011, later became chairman of the Law Commission.
