Haji Salim sent to jail rejecting bail plea

A Dhaka court has sent Dhaka-7 lawmaker Haji Mohammad Salim to jail rejecting his bail petition.

The the Awami League MP, who was sentenced on graft charges, surrendered before the court on Sunday afternoon and sought conditional bail.

However, lawyer Sri Pran Nath filed a bail plea on behalf of him before court of Judge Shahidul Islam of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-7 Sunday morning.

After 3 p.m., Haji Salim, whose recent abroad journey for treatment despite being condemned drew considerable condemnation, arrived in court physically.

Haji Salim became deafened after bleeding in the brain after a heart surgery in 2016, according to the bail plea.

He was treated for his illness both at home and abroad.

If he [Haji Salim] is imprisoned, any accident could occur owing to a lack of treatment, according to the bail statement.

After hearing a petition from the ACC, the High Court (HC) bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq confirmed the lower court's decision of ten years in prison.

At the same time, the Dhaka-7 MP was cleared of a three-year sentence for hiding wealth information in a case brought by the ACC.

Salim's penalties was also cut by half to Tk10 lakh by the High Court. If he does not pay the fee, he will be sentenced to another year in prison.

The ACC filed the case against Salim in 2007.

A Dhaka court sentenced him to 13 years in prison and fined him Tk 20 million on April 27, 2008.

Salim appealed the judgement to the Supreme Court.

The court overturned his sentence in 2011, but the ACC then appealed the lower court's decision.

The Appellate Division afterwards requested that the petition be heard again by the High Court.

Salim's irregularities arose after his son, Irfan Salim, was detained in 2020 for attacking a navy official.