Bangladesh’s Appellate Division has disposed of the state’s application against a High Court order barring the arrest or harassment of former chief justice A B M Khairul Haque without a specific case. A four-member bench led by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury issued the order on Sunday, leaving the High Court’s protection in place for Haque, according to lawyers involved.

After obtaining bail from the High Court in separate cases, Haque was shown arrested on March 30 in two murder cases filed at Jatrabari and Adabor police stations in the capital. His son, lawyer Ashik Ul Haque, filed a writ petition on May 13 challenging the legality of the process of showing him arrested in this manner. On May 17, the High Court issued a rule and an interim order.

The state sought a stay of the High Court order and filed a leave-to-appeal petition, which reached the Appellate Division’s regular bench through the Chamber Court. Police arrested Haque from his Dhanmondi residence on July 24 last year. He was later shown arrested in the murder case of Jubo Dal worker Abdul Kaiyum Ahad in Jatrabari and has remained in jail in various cases since then.