Former Chief Justice Khairul Haque on 7-day remand

A court in Dhaka placed former Chief Justice Khairul Haque on a 7-day remand in a case filed with the capital’s Shahbangh police station over delivering corruptive, vengeful and illegal verdicts and engaging in fraud.

Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court passed the order on Wednesday.

Prior to this, police sought a 10-day remand of the former justice.

However, no lawyer stood for Khairul Haque during the hearing.

Police detained Khairul Haque from a residence in the capital’s Dhanmondi area on 24 July.

According to police, Khairul Haque is facing three separate cases—two in Dhaka's Jatrabari area and one in Narayanganj.

Khairul Haque has long been politically criticised for delivering the verdict that abolished the caretaker government system.

A case has been filed against him at Narayanganj’s Fatullah Model police station on charges of issuing a fabricated verdict and sedition.

The case was filed on 25 August last year by Abdul Bari Bhuiyan, former president of the district bar association and general secretary of Fatullah Thana unit of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Khairul Haque was appointed as the country’s 19th Chief Justice on 27 September 2010, with the appointment becoming effective from 30 September of the same year. He retired on 17 May 2011.

On 23 July 2013, he was appointed chairman of the Law Commission for a three-year term. After the term ended, he was reappointed multiple times. He resigned from the post on 13 August last year.

While serving in the Appellate Division, Khairul Haque delivered the landmark verdicts declaring the 13th constitutional amendment (caretaker government system) and fatwas illegal.

During his time in the High Court Division, he gave verdicts in the Bangabandhu assassination case and the 5th constitutional amendment case.

He also presided over notable cases involving the protection of Dhaka’s four rivers and disputes concerning the proclamation of independence.