The High Court today started rehearing the appeal filed by independent lawmaker and Awami League leader Haji Mohammad Salim, challenging the trial court verdict that sentenced him to 13 years' imprisonment in a corruption case.
The HC bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq began the hearing with Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan placing the first information report of the case.
The hearing was going on till filing of this report at 2pm.
Lawyer Sayed Ahmed Raza appeared for Haji Mohamad Salim while Assistant Attorney General Tamanna Ferdaus represented the state.
The HC bench on November 11 last year called for the record of the corruption case following a prayer moved by ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan for fixing a date for rehearing the appeal of Haji Salim.
Accordingly, the trial court authorities sent the record of the case to the HC.
The ACC filed the corruption case against Haji Salim with Lalbagh Police Station on 24 October, 2007 on charge of amassing illegal assets.
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.
Then, the ACC appealed against the HC verdict to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
The Appellate Division on January 12, 2015 scrapped the HC verdict and directed the HC to hold a rehearing of Haji Salim's appeal and to dispose of the appeal again.
