Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for exemplary punishment of former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque, holding him directly responsible for the gravest political and constitutional crises in Bangladesh鈥檚 history.
He made the demand while speaking with reporters at BNP Gulshan office on Thursday.
Fakhrul alleged that Justice Khairul Haque鈥檚 verdict that led to the cancellation of the caretaker government provision was deceitful, politically motivated, and deeply damaging to the nation.
He argued that the controversial ruling was a betrayal of public trust and a direct assault on the democratic process.
鈥楰hairul Haque misused his authority and played with the future of Bangladesh. His short verdict and the full version were so drastically different鈥攍ike sky and earth. This was not a judicial decision, it was a political maneuver,鈥� said Fakhrul.
The BNP leader asserted that the verdict not only permanently dismantled the caretaker system 鈥� a mechanism designed to ensure free and fair elections 鈥� but also triggered years of political instability, electoral disputes, and erosion of public confidence in the judiciary.
He said that Justice Haque鈥檚 actions undermined the very foundation of the state, accusing him of being a partisan actor cloaked in judicial robes.
鈥楾he trust of the people in the judiciary was destroyed because of him. It is the greatest harm one could inflict upon a nation from such a high position,鈥� Fakhrul said.
A team of Detective Branch in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police detained former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque in the capital鈥檚 Dhanmondi area on Thursday morning.
DMP DB joint commissioner for South and Admin Mohammad Nasirul Islam said that a team detained him at about 8:30am on Thursday in Dhanmondi area.
Fakhrul welcomed the recent steps taken by the government to initiate an investigation into Haque鈥檚 conduct and demanded a transparent and fair trial, urging authorities to ensure that no one in the future dares to misuse constitutional power for political ends.
鈥楾his is a test of justice. The punishment must set an example 鈥� so no one dares to betray the people or the constitution again,鈥� he said.
The cancellation of the caretaker government system in 2011, following Justice Khairul Haque鈥檚 verdict, remains one of the most controversial judicial decisions in Bangladesh鈥檚 history, with long-standing political implications that continue to shape the country鈥檚 governance.
