ZI Panna condemns ex-CJ Khairul’s arrest in open letter to CJ Syed Reefat
In the letter, they described the arrest of the former chief justice in what they called a “false case” as a “threatening sign” and “a blot on the judicial culture of the country.”
Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna has condemned the arrest of former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque.
Speaking to reporters today (4 August), ZI Khan Panna confirmed that he and Jagannath University Law Department Professor SM Masum Billah submitted an open letter to Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed to this end.
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In the letter, they described the arrest of the former chief justice in what they called a "false case" as a "threatening sign" and "a blot on the judicial culture of the country."
"From a humanitarian and legal perspective, this incident appears as a dark signal for our present and future justice system," the letter reads.
They questioned the logic behind arresting a former chief justice over verdicts delivered in collaboration with fellow judges, stating, "It is incomprehensible to us why he was arrested with a case based on incidental half-truths and untruths."
"The manner in which he was arrested, handcuffed, produced before court, and remanded is incompatible with any standard of constitutional, criminal, or legal justice," it added.
The signatories claimed that the arrest violated established statutory and common law protections afforded to judges and called it "a stain on the nation's judicial heritage."
They urged the chief justice to ensure that "invisible barriers" to Khairul Haque's bail are removed and that he is allowed a fair legal defence.
Earlier, on 24 July, Khairul Haque was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence by the Detective Branch (DB) of police.
On 31 July, a Dhaka court has denied bail to this former chief justice and ex-chairman of the Law Commission in a murder case filed over the death of a Jubo Dal activist in the capital's Jatrabari area last year.
