Haji Salim asked to surrender before court within 30 days 

The full verdict of the High Court upheld the ten years of imprisonment for Dhaka-7 lawmaker Haji Md Salim in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was published on Wednesday.

In its verdict delivered on 9 March 2021, the court asked the Old Dhaka Awami League leader to surrender before a Dhaka judicial court within 30 days of publishing the full verdict. 

The HC also ordered the issuance of an arrest order if he does not surrender within the time.

After publishing the full verdict, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam told reporters that Haji Salim will lose his member of the parliament post as the HC upheld his 10-year imprisonment.  

In the full verdict, the virtual bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Haque also fined Haji Salim Tk10 lakh or one more year of jail in default. 

The court also ordered the authorities concerned to seize the lawmaker's moveable and immoveable properties that were accumulated illegally.

The HC, however, acquitted the Old Dhaka lawmaker of the charge of concealing information on his wealth in which he was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.      

In 2007, the ACC filed a case against Haji Salim with Lalbagh Police Station for accumulating wealth illegally. 

On 27 April 2008, Dhaka Special Judge's Court-7 sentenced Haji Salim to 13 years of imprisonment and fined him Tk20 lakh in the case.

Challenging the verdict, the lawmaker from the ruling Awami League then appealed with the HC. On 2 January 2011, the HC quashed Haji Salim's sentence.

But, the ACC appealed with the Appellate Division, challenging the HC verdict. The lawmaker had been on bail in the case.

Following the hearing of the ACC appeal, the Appellate Division quashed the HC judgment in January 2015 and asked the HC to re-hear Haji Salim's appeal. 

On 31 January 2021, the appeal hearing against the ruling party lawmaker's 13-year jail term began and the HC delivered its verdict on 9 March.