HC upholds 10 years jail term for Haji Salim

The High Court on Tuesday upheld a trial court verdict that sentenced Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Salim for 10 years for amassing wealth through illegal means.

After hearing an appeal filed by Haji Salim against his 13 years of jail, the High Court bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Haque passed the order this afternoon.

In the verdict, the HC bench also asked Haji Salim to surrender before the court within 30 days on receipt of a copy of the verdict.

Salim’s bail will be revoked and an arrest warrant will be issued against him if he does not surrender before the court by the stipulated time, the court said in the verdict.

However, the HC bench acquitted Haji Salim of the charge of concealing information on his wealth statement, in which he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by the lower court.

Earlier, the Special Judge’s Court-7 of Dhaka convicted Haji Salim and sentenced him to 13 years’ imprisonment in the case on April 27, 2008.

Haji Salim filed an appeal with the HC on October 25, 2009 against the trial court verdict.

Following the appeal, the HC on January 2, 2011 acquitted Haji Salim of the corruption case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) then appealed against the HC verdict to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

The Appellate Division on January 12, 2015 turned down the HC verdict and directed the HC to hold a rehearing of Haji Salim’s appeal and to dispose of the appeal again.

After completing rehearing on the appeal, the HC bench on Tuesday came up with the verdict.

JS membership

The parliamentary membership of independent-turned Awami League lawmaker Haji Salim will fall vacant following the HC verdict.

After the HC verdict, ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told the Business Insider Bangladesh that as per the law, the parliamentary membership of Haji Salim will fall vacant following the High Court verdict.

Now, the Election Commission will take its own course about the constituency concerned in accordance with the law, he added.

However, Advocate Sayeed Ahmed Raja, counsel for Haji Salim told reporters that the parliamentary membership of Haji Salim will not be cancelled following the High Court verdict as his client would appeal with the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict.

“I hope that the Election Commission will stay aside from taking any step over his client membership post until the Supreme Court verdict comes in this regard, he said.