SC to hear Haji Salim’s bail plea on Aug 1

Staff Reporter :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant bail to Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Salim in a corruption case in which the High Court has upheld his conviction and 10 years of jail sentence.
Justice M Enayetur Rahim, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of the SC, passed the order after hearing a bail petition filed by Haji Salim in the case. The apex court judge, however, sent the bail petition to its full bench and also fixed August 1 for its hearing.
Haji Salim submitted a nearly-1,200 page appeal petition to the Appellate Division through his lawyer Sayeed Ahmed Raza on May 23 challenging the HC verdict that upheld his conviction
 and 10 years’ jail sentence in the corruption case.
In the appeal petition Haji Salim also also sought bail in the case.
Haji Salim was taken to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on May 23 for treatment, a day after he was sent to jail in the corruption case.
Salim, who was sentenced for 10 years in the corruption case filed in 2008, surrendered before a Dhaka court on May 22 and sought bail. Rejecting his bail petition, the court sent him to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.
The High Court on March 9 in 2021 upheld 10 years’ imprisonment given to Haji Salim in the case filed on charge of possessing wealth worth Tk 269.2 million beyond his known source of income. The court also upheld the fine of Tk 1.0 million imposed by the lower court.
However, the ruling party man was acquitted of three years’ imprisonment given by a special court on charge of concealing information of his assets in the same case.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq delivered the verdict after holding hearing on an appeal petition filed by Haji Salim against the special court verdict. The full text of the verdict was released on February 10 in 2022.
Haji Salim has been asked to surrender to the lower court within 30 days of receiving a copy of the High Court’s verdict. The High Court has asked the special court to issue an arrest warrant against him if he does not surrender within this period.
The court also acquitted Salim’s wife Gulshan Ara Begum as she died in November 2020 during the pendency of her appeal against her three years jail term given by the same special court. Gulshan Ara was sentenced for abetting and aiding Salim in possessing the illegal properties he acquired since 1991.
Sources said the full text of the verdict was sent to the trial court on April 25 this year. And Haji Salim had time 30 days in his hand after April 25.
The ACC on October 24, 2007 filed the case with the Lalbagh Police Station against Haji Salim on charge of possessing wealth worth Tk 269.2 million beyond his known source of income. The trial court on April 27, 2008 sentenced Haji Salim to 13 years’ imprisonment in two charges in the case.