Haji Salim denied bail in corruption case

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has denied bail to Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Salim in a corruption case.

It also set 23 October for a hearing on a leave to appeal petition filed by Salim challenging the High Court verdict.

After hearing the application against the verdict, the Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order, confirmed Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan Monday (1 August).

The ACC lawyer also said that Haji Salim is currently in a prison cell at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for treatment.

Earlier on 6 June, the chamber judge of the Supreme Court denied Haji's bail plea. He has been sentenced to jail for the graft charges upon being convicted for 10 years.

The court had fixed 1 August to hear the appeal in the full bench of the appellate division led by the chief justice. After hearing the bail plea and the leave to appeal application against the HC verdict, chamber judge Justice M Enayetur Rahim passed the order.

The apex court will hear Haji Salim's plea in detail and has kept the bail petition, his lawyer Sayeed Ahmed Raza told The Business Standard.

On 24 May, Haji Salim filed an appeal seeking the quashing of his 10-year prison sentence handed down by a lower court over graft charges. He also filed for bail.

A Dhaka court on 22 May sent the Dhaka-7 lawmaker on graft charges to jail rejecting his bail petition.

He got admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) after spending a day in jail.

ACC had filed the case against Salim in 2007.

On 27 April 2008, a Dhaka court sentenced him to 13 years in jail and fined Tk20 lakh. Salim moved the High Court (HC) against the verdict.

In 2011, the court overturned his sentence but the ACC appealed against the verdict.

Later, the appellate division asked the HC to re-hear the petition.