The High Court on Sunday directed the government and authorities concerned not to arrest or harass former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque unless there are specific cases against him.

The bench of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury issued the directive after hearing a writ petition filed by Khairul’s son, Ashique-Ul Hoque.

The petition challenged the legality of repeatedly showing Khairul arrested in new cases after he secured bail in earlier cases.

The court also issued a rule asking the government to explain why repeatedly showing him arrested after he obtained bail, allegedly to harass or humiliate him, should not be declared illegal.

The order came after the Appellate Division upheld High Court orders granting Khairul bail in five cases. The chamber judge also fixed a date for hearing government appeals challenging his bail in the remaining two cases.

The two latest cases were filed with Jatrabari and Adabar police stations in Dhaka over killings during the July mass uprising.

The Jatrabari case was filed over the killing of madrassah student Md Arif, while the Adabar case concerns the killing of garment worker Md Rubel.

Although Khairul had secured bail in five cases, he remained in jail after being shown arrested in the two other cases.

Khairul is also accused in three other criminal cases involving allegations of sedition, fraud and judicial misconduct linked to the 2011 verdict that declared the caretaker government system illegal.

He served as the chief justice from September 30, 2010 to May 17, 2011.

The police arrested Khairul at his Dhanmondi residence on July 24, 2025, nearly a year after the July mass uprising that led to the fall of the Awami League government.

Senior lawyer Md Munsurul Hoque and Motaher Hossain Sazu appeared for Justice Khairul Hoque.