Haji Salim ordered to surrender before court within 30 days
The full text of the High Court's verdict was published on Thursday upholding 10-year imprisonment of Awami League parliamentarian Haji Mohammad Salim, reports UNB.
Haji Salim was asked to surrender to the trial court within 30 days of receiving the verdict from HC, Khurshid Alam Khan, lawyer of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) told UNB.
HC directed the trial court to cancel the bail order to the Dhaka-7 MP and issue an arrest warrant against him if he does not surrender within the given time.
However, Haji Salim's wife Gulshan Ara's appeal filed in this case has been rejected as she died in 2020.
ACC lawyer, Khurshid Alam said, "After this verdict Haji Salim has lost the eligibility to remain a MP according to the paragraph 66 (2) of the constitution."
Meanwhile Haji Salim's lawyer ayed Ahmed Raza said, "We will appeal to the Supreme Court's appellate division against the HC order. Until it gets settled Haji Salim cannot be considered indicted and no such bar is effective on him remaining a MP."
Lawyer Sayed Ahmed Raza however said Haji Salim will surrender to the trial court within 30 days following the HC order for now.
On 9 March, last year HC bench of justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and justice AKM Zahirul Huq passed the order after hearing a petition by the ACC.
At the same time, the Dhaka-7 MP was acquitted of a three-year jail term in the same case filed by the ACC for concealing wealth information.
The High Court also reduced the fine imposed on Salim by half to Tk 1 million. He will have to spend one more year in jail if he fails to pay the fine.
In 2007, the ACC filed the case against Salim. On 27 April, 2008, a Dhaka court jailed him for 13 years and fined Tk 2 million.
Salim moved the High Court against the verdict.
In 2011, the court overturned his sentence but the ACC later appealed against the lower court verdict.
Later, the Appellate Division asked the High Court to re-hear the petition.